Food

It’s hard to imagine anything as human as food. We all need it. We all consume it. And I suspect many of us have some sort of love/hate relationship with food. I mean…how do you say no to cookies?

But there is a depth to food that I’ve really started to understand and appreciate since I’ve moved to North Dakota. I don’t mean fancy recipes or new cooking styles or things like that. I mean the way food works a bit like Union Station as a central hub that creates sprawling connections. Human connections.

We share a meal with my wife’s family probably two or three times a week (sometimes more). And it’s truly the thing I enjoy most. I actually savor the moment <hahahaha! Savor! Haha…ha>. Why? The food is always good. But that’s not it. It’s what the food represents. It represents work and caring to craft a meal. It represents sharing of space with other humans. It represents a sense of community and belonging. At its core, it represents…to sound completely cheesy…love.

Speaking of cheese, my wife gave our niece 12 months of homemade food for Christmas. This month, our niece wanted cheeseburger soup. Yea, I had the same response. Turns out, it’s quite delicious. And it became a reason for us to get together with family – to break bread together.

When I was in Austin in early 2025, I caught up with some old neighbors. We shared meals together. Again, the food was good. But it was great because of the company. The laughing. The reminiscing. The celebrating. All of those incredible things were made possible BECAUSE of sharing food together.  

Last year, I wrote about the Cantril Ladder and how the Finnish are the happiest people in the world. One of the activities in which they partake that helps create real connection between human beings? Eat a meal together. It’s literally that simple. Will eating a meal with someone solve all the world’s problems? Of course not. But the act of eating together does reaffirm our humanity and connects us as human beings.

But even if we eat alone (I do periodically), we are still connected to the world. A bunch of someones (and by “someone,” I mean human beings) grew, harvested, gathered…or any other endeavor…the ingredients that went into the creation of whatever meal we choose to eat at any given time.

One thing I’ve learned about food over the last couple of years is the intentionality behind every meal you eat. That’s not as grandiose as it sounds. 😃 And it’s not about losing weight, being on a diet, eating nutritiously, etc. Everyone is on their own journey when it comes to the “healthy” aspect of food. I mean more being mindful of the fact that food truly does connect us more than we realize. And the beauty of it is we have multiple opportunities daily to be reminded of our human connection – whether we are eating alone or doing it with people we enjoy.

Bon Appetit. Bon Communauté.

Until next week.

Cheers,

Andy