Food as a love language

One cannot think well, sleep well if one has not dined well – Virginia Woolf

You have probably read the book called The 5 love languages; a book about five ways that people like to experience and give love. According to the book, the five love languages are; words of affirmation, physical touch, quality time, receiving gifts, and acts of service. These are great but food is my absolute love language!

I like what food is and what it represents, it is more than taste, calories and sustenance. It is the sitting down and communing with the people you love. Many of my fantasies include me in the kitchen making good food with and for my family and friends in the future. There is just something about food prepared with love and thought. Food says, “I love you” without any physical touch.

Communing together is a way to bring people together, to love them, to listen and to nourish. The love language of food has a way of bringing down walls, because you are less guarded and more trusting when sharing a meal. You sit, relax, engage, pour your heart out, become authentic and vulnerable and usually it is mutually pleasurable. When I think of my friends, the ones I want to cultivate deeper friendships with, the ones I find value in and want to get to know more, I cannot imagine not having a meal with them. This is why I hosted a picnic party

earlier this year with a bunch of friends, it was about the food and it was about the friendships. We bought groceries and prepared the food together which was fun - we had lots of laughter. At the sitting, we got to catch up as we do not see each other often, we enjoyed the food and drinks. Later we had games and then we washed dishes together. I could feel the love from the setting up to the cleaning up. We had a pleasant day!

Food is also great for gifting; birthday dinners, get well soon chocolate cake, please forgive me box of chocolates, welcome and goodbye food baskets with grapes, chocolate, wine and other goodies. You can NEVER go wrong with food!

Have you thought about your love language and what it means to you?