As I See It / December 2005
A Heaping Helping
In a world characterized by chaos and change, even the smallest traditions bring comfort. In fact, it is often the smallest ones that we hold most dear. Around the world and around the block, this is the month to celebrate big and little traditions, taking deep pleasure in the recurring moments that define the most cherished memories.
Women are so often at the center of the holiday traditions. From the millions of cakes and cookies, to the fussing and fretting over meals, to the wreaths and wrapping, women try their very best to make this season special. There is an abiding connection that yearns to be made at this time of year, by every age and every generation and women are usually at the heart of it.
All the mothers and daughters that have come before and all the mothers and daughters that will come after, are part of each year’s celebration. Each in their turn, has and will participate in the holiday traditions that are the family’s signature. And, despite all the incredible advances women have made in business, in science, in politics and regardless of their achievements in every area of art and industry, what their families will probably cherish most is a memory from the holiday meal.
Our great grandmothers prepared their special meals on wood burning stoves. Busy career women of the 21st century may take theirs out of the microwave. It’s the “home” in home cooking that makes it special. Fractured families must create their own solutions to problematic households. Health care and emergency personnel, those who work rotating shifts, and those who must be on 24 hour call, find creative ways to accommodate their schedules and still nurture the holiday spirit. Gathering around the Christmas pizza has made some very happy memories.
Women and food have a deeply entwined historic connection, and it has only a little to do with hunger. A favorite dish can be medicine, therapy, reward, encouragement, sympathy and celebration. For women, eating is far more than a basic requirement. It’s a social, psychological and sociological experience. The time, the thought, the effort, the planning, the preparation and the presentation are all part of a profound emotional embrace. It’s an embrace that has proved irresistible across generations for centuries.
Of course so many holiday traditions are celebrated at the dining table. It is a woman’s home court, her field of expertise. It is where she heals and helps, where she nourishes and nurtures. No matter what is served, no matter how overcooked the turkey is or who made the green bean casserole, mothers, daughters, sisters, lovers and wives will find the way to bring the people they love together.
Protestant or Catholic, Jewish or Hindu, this month, women will reenact the ever loving drama of the holiday meal. The sights and sounds, aromas and flavors will all spill over into a collective wave of memory that circles back each year.
Between carpools and careers, during the rest of the year, the family dinner may be a thing of the past. But this month, there will be a moment it is past, present and future. There will be a woman at the table, and she will serve up all the love and good wishes in her heart. That’s the tradition that flows seamlessly through time and distance. Its the one that lasts a lifetime.
Enjoy the meal this holiday. Have a second helping. There’s more than enough to go around. PL
Copyright © 2005-2006 A Woman's View. All rights reserved.
Femme Fair 2006
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