I ate a very healthy, wholesome dinner tonight. It had whole grains and crunchy dark greens, sunflower seeds, olive oil, the works. It looked good and tasted even better. I’m not sure how much it “nourished” me though. I was rather unhappy while eating it. My husband/playmate has been away, so this meal was eaten alone. No holding hands and giving thanks. No stroking each other’s feet under the table. No giggling over silly things. No chit chat about the GOP frontrunners. I felt heavy and sad and alone.

Compare that to a not-so-healthy lunch I had with my girl friends yesterday. While we tried to pick the healthiest items on the menu, we ended up with some white bread and maybe some unhealthy oils. The food wasn’t organic or local. But who cared. As we sat there that cold afternoon, soaking in the sun, we were being truly nourished: by the sense of togetherness and love that connected us, by the cool fresh air, by the conversations that accompanied our meals, speckled with laughter, course discussions and grateful silences.

How we eat our food and with whom is as important as what’s actually on our plate. Sometimes individual nutrients don’t nourish us as much as the intangible fuels do: love, gratitude, joy, laughter…

…and on cold days, sunshine 🙂