I've been mulling over this idea for some time now and it has finally come together into something that has taken shape and has clarity. It concerns making dinner (or any other meal) for the family. I've looked back over the years and noticed how our meals have changed. I'll start at dating. When I was dating someone, we would go out to eat. When my date really wanted to be nice or impress me he would take me to a nice restaurant. When I got to the point where I really liked a guy, I would make him a nice meal., or invite him home to eat with our family (and I would cook).
Then after marriage my husband and I cooked together and experimented with different foods, but the majority were fast foods, convenience foods, easy foods, with a few special foods thrown in here and there, like a candle lit dinner when I wanted to show him some extra love. Then when kids came along it became kid friendly foods, including hot dogs (dare I say it!) and ramen noodles, macaroni and cheese, peanut butter sandwiches.
At that same point in my life, I was overwhelmed with motherhood and looked for opportunities to take a break/s. I sometimes rushed through nurturing and instead looked for opportunities for 'me time'. I looked for meals that I could rush through even though they weren't very healthy choices because I wanted to get it out of the way as well; lots of frozen, ready-made foods and other things I could easily heat in the microwave and throw on the table.
The last few years as I have stepped back and looked at my choices for nutrition (or lack thereof) and learned much more about how to eat healthy, I have taken more time to learn about how those foods affected my mood, stress level, energy level as well as my children's behavior. I also had a couple of picky eaters come along that made me stretch in my ability to make nutritious meals that also passed muster with their tongues. I see the reaction in my family when they really enjoy a home cooked meal and I can tell they feel loved by my effort.
It's been quite an adventure, but it's also taught me something about my job as a nurterer. I've seen so many people over the years that didn't like cooking for their family and a lot of times those same people were not very nurturing with their spouses and/or children. I truly see a link in nurturing/nourishing. It really starts at the birth of a child. Many moms refuse to breastfeed their babies and prefer the convience that a bottle gives them. Then others can nourish the child and they aren't tied down. Other mom's can't wait to quit nursing as soon as they can and only do it out of obligation. (To me this would also include allowing more children to come into our families even though it is hard work) On the other hand are the mothers who love it and thoroughly enjoy the time spent nursing and bonding with their little ones. The word nursing is so close to nourishing which in turn is very similar to nurturing.
As I thought about our first parents and their command to sweat to eat their bread all the days of their lives, I wondered.; Was Heavenly Father trying to help them start off on the right track with nourishing as well as nurturing the first crop of children to come to earth? 'By the sweat of our brow' shows me that even if it's hard work to make good food for our families, that it's something that Heavenly Father knows will bring us joy. It may not come at first, but after a while we truly do gain joy from putting a healthy meal on the table before our sweet families, even if we have to sweat.
As I've come to realize this, I've noticed how my nurturing has also changed. My desire for me time has completely changed. I don't look for opportunities to get away. My favorite me times are spent with my mini-me's. We love to snuggle in my bed and read books, or work together (believe it or not, they love it much of the time) and having come full circle we cook together and nourish and nurture each other. Who would ever want to get away from that!
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