Eating And Moving As Comfort

This submission came from Jasmine at Eat, Move, Write (check out her amazing yam pancake recipe-YUM). I was so touched by her honesty. I agree completely that food can be comforting and nourishing, rather than guilt inducing or punishing. Amen, sister!

I used to weigh 343 pounds. The only things I’d ever known to bring me comfort involved a knife, fork, spoon, or, in really desperate time, my own grubby fingers. Today, I’m less than half the woman I was and I’ve learned that sometimes it actually is a reality to find comfort in food. But a bowl of whole oats with raw peanut butter can be so much more comfortable than a bowl of ice cream. Sometimes when I’m missing home, a bowl of milk rice like my mom used to make is like a small slice of home. Today, mostly, I use exercise as comfort. It takes my mind off whatever in life is bothering me, and it reminds me that there are few things more precious than our health, which for the majority of my life I hadn’t even considered.

The Kitchen Table As Comfort: Truer Words Never Spoken

Shelly from The Decayed Gentlewoman shared this lovely story with us. Be sure to enjoy some other musings on her fantastic blog.


Sitting at my kitchen table gives me comfort.

As a child, whenever I would visit either set of my grandparents, life seemed to be conducted around the kitchen table and I loved that. I would sit with my grandparents while they drank their coffee in the morning and watch particles of dust float in the rays of sunlight coming from the windows. My grandfather would tell me stories about his childhood as we sat there.

Later, I would cram around the table with my cousins, eagerly watching my grandmother make lunch.

When I grew older, my family would sit at the kitchen table and play rounds of Continental Rummy, a particularly complicated and extremely enjoyable card game.

Now that I have my own house, I have dinner at the table every night, and love to sit there for hours on Sunday morning, drinking lots of coffee and reading the newspaper from cover to cover.

Teddy Bear. Classic Comfort by Jess at Have Faith

Jess at Have Faith is a great blogger and who I deem an "old soul" as she is so wise AND a freshman in high school! In addition to peanut butter, here is something that gives Jess comfort:

Whether it be after a tough day ending in tears or after a night filled with fun, this gift from my boyfriend always brings me comfort. He gave me a soft, white teddy bear for Valentines Day this year. It has a heart attached that reads "I love you" and it makes me smile when I see it. It reminds me of him when he's away and no night is complete without my bear. I love curling up on the couch with her while watching a good movie. (Which is exactly what I plan on doing tonight with the Notebook and a Chai Tea.) This meaningful teddy bear is my ultimate comfort and I feel much more at peace with her in my arms. A little cheesy? Maybe. The truth? Yes.



Thanks, Jess. I, too have a white bear with a heart that my boyfriend (now husband) brought home from a trip to NYC he went on right after we met. So sweet, and we hadn't even kissed yet. That little bear sealed the deal.

xo

Mandy

Books In Bed, A View Of The River, And Sex And The City: Diana's Comfort

Diana of Soap & Chocolate shared that her comfort comes in stolen moments...we hear ya!

At the risk of sounding tres cliche, curling up with a good book is one of the ultimate comforts for me. I love to read, but the majority of the time I have to do so takes place on the subway riding to and from work! That environment is not exactly the most conducive to relaxation. That's why I relish the few moments I can find to bury myself in a bunch of pillows on my bed and sip a cup of tea or coffee while I read. What's more, I live in Brooklyn and I have a great view of the East River from my bedroom window.

That pretty much describes the setting for the best weekend mornings!

I also love to revisit old movie favorites of mine, especially chick flicks. If I've had a rough day, there's nothing quite like popping in a good old standby, like Clueless, or even an episode of Sex and the City! It's the familiarity that brings back my sanity, I think - predictability in an unpredictable world. A little (okay, a lot) of ice cream usually helps, too. :)

I'm feeling comforted and relaxed just having written about that! It must be time for bed.

Thanks, Diana. Be sure to follow her blog, she makes deliciousness for herself everyday!