Nourishment

I saw the show The Lion King recently and knew it would be an unusual and arty show from what I'd read, seen and heard about it. So when the actors entered from the back of the theatre, moving through the aisles in these magical, magnificent costumes and puppet creations, singing to music by a live band, I started crying. Oh my! All of my senses were tingly and my heart was full and I was overwhelmed.

I felt like I was being fed my REAL food.

What is the difference between feeding oneself and nourishing oneself?

Do we feed the body and nourish the soul?

I have been thinking recently a lot about this topic, the differences, how it plays out for each of us. It's nebulous, yet essential.

Several people in my corner of the universe are dealing with major illness, disease, loss. There are personal earthquakes changing the landscapes of our lives every moment. I always wonder how to take care of each other, amidst the challenges, with feeding AND nourishment. And I'm curious what it means for each of us, as we're all pretty different even though we're cut from the same cloth. And so...

Lately I've had the privilege of working with teenagers when I'm here in town. We are working on creative writing via improvisation. I am charmed by the kids BIG TIME. They are sarcastic, tired, hysterical, self-conscious, brilliant, edgy and at first we were all wary of each other. But then we all exhaled and are getting along just fine. Their armor isn't quite intact yet. Working with them feels like nourishment, like I'm being fed something I don't get anywhere else. After class I feel buoyant, delighted, impressed with their quirks and gifts. And that is my real food. Heart food. Soul food.