Grieving and Eating Go Together
Foods you can offer to help heal a grieving heart
A couple of things to get out of the way first:
- It is an absolute certainty that at some point you will need to take food to a funeral, wake, or celebration of life service.
- It’s usually on short notice: So why not be prepared?
Funerals and food have been inextricably linked since humans first practiced this ritual, and I bet that people then, as now, asked, “What should I bring?” We humans harbor the primordial need to comfort with food. We want the gift we offer with arms extended to be wholesome. Satisfying. Delicious.
One of the best ways to heal a grieving heart is through the stomach.
I remember the food that flooded our house when my dad died. The kitchen counter disappeared under rows of aluminum foil-covered glass casserole dishes. Cakes hid under white-domed plastic covers. Platters of chocolate brownies made by the church organist. I’d sneak into the kitchen at night when the house was quiet and dark for a second helping of Mrs. Reed’s strawberries and cream French toast casserole. It became a macabre joke between my two brothers and me — what do you think we’ll get today?
