Soul Food

This is just a little something I posted on my Facebook notes section yesterday that I decided to share here, more publically:

My friend, Stephen, asked a question on his Facebook Status Message and I had such a good time reading peoples’ responses that I copies the entire thread to share with you, here. Natch, I have edited out their names, for discretion.


Stephen: ok friends... Things that feed the soul... go!


Mary: Music! Music! Music!


Daniel: Mac and Cheese...well at least you won't be hungry!


Rob: Laughter with friends. Also music. The outdoors.


Jonathan I agree oh and a good book


Owen: Buffy episodes..


Samantha: laying in bed on a rainy day


Jerome An infant giggling.


Jerome A walk thru big sur


David Montego Glover singing within 10 feet of me two nights in a row


Jonathan Matza


Spencer the sound of the gentle rain that is falling outside my window right now. I've turned everything off so I can just get all "zen and shit"....


Michael Dogs


Tony Old Aretha Franklin recordings, watching great acting, a long nap, connecting with a good friend...


Elissa laughing children, music, good art, pets, time to enjoy..anything!


Gonzolo Chocolate ice cream and sitting on the couch watching reruns of the Golden Girls (can't believe how many times they said slut) and Sex and the City.


Lori Smokin' BBQ and deep tissue massages!


Marni Listening to Debussy while watching the play of light on the trees through the window.


Tina My KITTENS!! And my husband:-) OH and GOOD BOOKS!!


Joyce My grandchildren!!


Debbie Good friends, good books, good coffee, quite.GregThat's an easy one...Soul Food!


Kris my kids


Andrew Nina Simone


Elizabeth Love. Love. Love. Love is all you need. My son's love in particular. And music. Currently Otis Redding's "One More Day" feeds the soul rather nicely.


Pattie You


Stephen (originator of the survey)You all just made me smile.. the real kind.


Seth Grilled Cheese with Tomato Soup.


Christopher Brownies!! Chicken noodle soup :) Chinese Food delivered. bubble bath with candles


Jodi books:)


Amy DANCE CLASS!!!...im such a big nerd :)


Sarah good literature (for me, right now, that means Irish writers)


Tim rock 'n' roll and meeting new friends that'll feel like old friends in a few hours...


Susan My Cars, music and movies. And... crossing the state line into Virginia.


Sarah This list is lovely!


Sharen Having my son fall asleep in my arms :)


Brandy Rain on a tin roof, lighting, Asheville, country music, snail mail, palmetto chees and ham sandwiches, my love, brown paper packages, SDM...these are a few of my favorite things!


Sarah: Walking from room to room in my new house and thinking, "My God, I live here... I own this."


Michael Lithuanian Folk Dancing!!!!


Sarah: Ok, I take it back. Lithuanian folk dancing it is!


Diane A cup of coffee, a good book, listening to the girls play make believe in the other room, an intense tap class, good conversation with friends like you


So. Having read this list, I began to ponder what feeds my soul. What FEEDS my SOUL.

MY soul.

My SOUL.

And the only real, honest, true answers I could come up with are these:

Nature – I am in a different zone when I am standing on a beach or in a forest or on a mountain. Being out in nature is like being in the palm of God.God – I don’t really have a religion. But I have a God. My God is unique to me; and our relationship is unique to us. God is my best friend.

Pat – There is nothing so nurturing as lying in Pat’s arms and looking at him. I have begun referring to him as my docking station – when I lie, holding him, I can feel my strength, my energy, my happiness grow, so that I can go back out into the world and conquer.

Art – No matter what form it takes, art is in my system. Maybe it is a visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, maybe it is a trip to the theater or the picture show; perhaps it is reading a book, or it could be listening to music. Maybe it’s writing a blog or maybe it’s creating a photograph – whatever the art is that is touching me at that moment in time, that is the most important art in my life.

Good Health – The feeling I have inside when I am eating properly, the feeling I feel, overall, when I am exercising – being good to myself, showing me that I matter, is great validation of the love I have for myself and the respect I have for the God and the parents who created me.

Family – I don’t have to tell anyone how important to ones’ soul is ones’ family. Hearing my nieces or nephew laugh, having an intelligent conversation with my father, holding my mommy’s hand when we stroll through the shops; bringing together my friends in my home and sitting back and watching them interact, being there to help a loved one who wants to be helped, making art with them, sharing life’s joys and sorrows with them, sometimes just looking at them, it’s a great boost to my life.

Goodness – when I see someone act kindly, when I recognize someone’s integrity, when I surprise myself with my own generosity, when someone bestows upon me their kindness, I am always overwhelmed by the humanity of people – and the fact that it does, still, exist in some.

Dancing.

Sleep

A good massage.

Listening to any Julie Andrews song.

Bulldogs.

A long hot bath, shaving my head and face, rinsing off in the shower after using Arbonne Awaken Sea Salt Scrub, putting on a nice outfit and, looking as pretty as I feel, going out with my husband, walking down the street hand in hand.

Doing your civic duty, getting involved and acting on something that will effect some kind of positive change in the world.

A good and hard day’s work.

New York City

The Truth.