Searching around for information on contemplative meals, I came across an article written by Margaret Krome in The Capital Times of Wisconsin.

Gratitude isn’t naive. It doesn’t ignore the world’s terrible hunger, hostility and pain, deep anxiety about impending war, or the frustration of one’s car stalling in traffic. Nor does it celebrate superficial hopes or hollow victories. Appreciating isn’t the same as wishing that things were better than they are or hoping that they’ll improve. To be conscious of what’s good isn’t to grasp at straws.

It also isn’t smug. A thing’s goodness isn’t made better by knowing that others don’t have it, nor does something good come in proportion to one’s own merit. For example, much of my good life derives from a sound education that I didn’t obtain alone but with help from my parents and a supportive culture, which many others lack. Some people’s idea of grace – that their blessings flow because they’re good, well-behaved and pay homage to God – seems false and dangerously divisive. It can justify injustice or callousness to others’ needs.

But thankfulness isn’t callous. It’s easy to say that a loving family, time to spend with them and other intangibles are worth more than money – when you have money. That I have loving parents and good food can’t allow me to care less about others’ hunger or suffering from their families’ actions. Rather, deep gratitude for something’s importance in my life can open my awareness to inequities and inspire me to help others.

Thanksgiving in America is a time to pause and reflect on what is good in our lives. I’ve become interested in mindful eating. This involves awakening to the process of creation, paying attention to our actions as we chop vegetables and measure spices, remembering that many hands contributed to the nurturance and delivery of that product. It also means savoring flavors, feeling texture in the mouth, allowing our attention to focus fully on the task of nourishing the body. Thanksgiving is a step toward that, except I would like to weave this practice into daily life. Contemplative meals, in which people eat together in silence, occur in many settings. Some churches hold them, retreat centers make it part of the experience, and –wonder of wonders — we could gather friends and do this at home.

Here are some other links to sites oriented toward mindfulness and food:

MindfulEating.org
SlowFood.com
Slow Food USA
Conscious Eating

Bon appetit, and peace to you.