Everything is well on the food program front. We’ve been trying new sides – kale chips! cucumber salad! – and enjoying our old favorites, too. This month, though, I thought I’d take a break from sharing about the food itself to discuss another favorite topic at Abeona House: community building.
Food brings people together. It allows us to learn about each other, to share our preferences, our traditions, and our passions. I’ve learned that Akira in the Fish Cove loves tofu and eats it at home with his family. In the Garden room, Evelyn will always ask for seconds on beans and Nicholas informed me that his dad taught him to identify sweet potatoes. I also have the privilege of learning about our broader community through food, when folks working at First Grace stop through the kitchen. Ms. Stephanie tells me about how her mom could feed their big family delicious Southern food on a budget, and Jacinto (father to Sebastian in the Beehive) offered a yummy taste of his mom’s bread from Mexico.
And food gives us time and space to relax with one another. I love the conversations we have over mealtimes at Abeona, even when they are not about the meal we are eating. The time gives us an opportunity to reflect on our day and share new ideas. Earlier this week, Miss Caitlin invited me to join the Garden for a lunch discussion on feminism. Rock on, preschool!
What are your family’s food traditions? What do you discuss over the dinner table?
Abeona House Child Discovery Center 