If you know me, then you know I’m one of the luckiest women in the world…because I come home from work to a home-cooked meal almost every day. These meals are lovingly prepared by my husband who also works a 40hr job just like me, yet I have never once heard him complain. NEVER. Sure, sometimes he doesn’t cook, because he’s tired or got home late, but those times are rare and he still doesn’t expect me to cook even then. Now before you start claiming him Saint Eric, let me interject here:
I am a terrible cook. I simply loathe following directions, knowing that my concoctions will not turn out the way they do in the hands of a master (like my husband). Instead, my role is to keep the kitchen clean.
This arrangement makes us both happy. What you might not know, however, is how much work Eric truly puts in to ensuring the food we eat is as healthy & tasty as it can be. Eric has always enjoyed cooking, but when I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis, cooking became something much more for him.
Faced with an illness we barely understood & had no control over, Eric found a way to heal his wife.
When I say “heal,” I don’t mean to imply that diet can take away my arthritis or prevent my joints from deteriorating. At the beginning, I read blogs & books that claimed this, but my experience has taught me that good drugs & good doctors are a necessary part of the equation. What I DO mean is that eating well is what helps my body fight infections (something that is difficult to do when taking medicines that knock out your immune system). It is also something that we CAN control, and I am a firm believer in the power of mind over body. When I was at my lowest (both mentally & physically), Eric dedicated himself to relearning how to cook & researching anti-inflammatory food. Once I joined him in this journey, I stopped feeling helpless. I took back control of my health & spirit, & together we adapted & became a healthier couple.
Eric & I celebrated our 14th anniversary this month, & when I think about why I love this man so much, what comes to mind most clearly is how he feeds my body & soul every day…through the well-planned meals that nourish me & the fact that he so willingly devotes his time doing this, with no expectations of gratitude or payment. He does it because he loves me, he loves the life we have together, & he loves making people happy through food. Eric could buy me a mansion tomorrow, & it wouldn’t come close to creating the smoldering heat I feel inside me every time that I walk through our door to see him placing a nutrient-packed supper on my dinner plate.
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Your post about Eric’s loving you through cooking brings back memories of past generations of your family. Clare’ s maternal grandmother (like Clare, also a librarian and gifted musician) was a fabulous cook who enjoyed cooking with her two daughters and her husband who also loved to cook and prepare meals for family and friends. Desserts were Grandma J’s specialties: apple dumplings, floating island, coconut roll, homemade cakes and pies of all kinds. In 1961 she beat out 69 other entries of homemade cakes to win a brand new electric stove from a local hardware store with her Pecan Praline Cake. After her husband was diagnosed with diabetes, the desserts became less frequent and meals became healthy portions of lots of fresh veggies and low fat protein. Meals were always served with love at the family table where conversation and laughter took place. Clare’s mom (me) tried to instill this in our family as well, and we’re happy to enjoy this same atmosphere when we eat at Clare and Eric’s table. Cooking for others can truly be an act of love and service to those we love!