I never read the book; I did see the movie. But you’ve inspired me to read it. I immediately felt a wave of emotion and tug of interest at your story idea - I think you should definitely write it. And too think that food is love and caring.
Commenting on my own post, as Substack added pledge buttons of its volition after I hit send. Grrr. Wasn't there in the drafts, and this is a free newsletter. So bad on them!
How serendipitous (I had to look up how to spell that!). I also came here from Sarah Fay's thread last week and so enjoyed your story. The co-incidence was that I came to my laptop to look up hot chocolate recipes and ended up pulling down Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel from my bookshelf instead, a wonderful book that is full of recipes with heart-tugging, emotional resonance.
Food is so powerful, in life and in writing. It connects us to each other and to those we've lost. There's a short story I have been trying to write for years about a meal of pasta and sauce that my husband made for me when I came out of hospital after having our baby and how I simply cried and cried with the happiness of it all: the delicious taste of it (after a week of bad hospital food) and the new family we had become. Thank you for bringing all these thoughts together for me.
Finally, I saw Past Lives in a tiny cinema near Fort William in Scotland and I'm afraid it didn't really work for me. I thought it was just a bit underplayed.
Found you via Sarah Fay's Friday thread and so glad I did! This is so moving. Cooking is the ultimate healing practice in so many ways. When I was in India I learned a saying, "I made this in your name." It means, while someone is cooking a dish, they are thinking of you and putting their love for you into it. So you've made 25 soups in your mothers name. (Did you actually get through the whole list??) Honestly, our relationship with our mother is our origin story and our original wound. All mixed together in a pot like soup.
And when I was in London in August I saw Past Lives. Great film.
I never read the book; I did see the movie. But you’ve inspired me to read it. I immediately felt a wave of emotion and tug of interest at your story idea - I think you should definitely write it. And too think that food is love and caring.
Commenting on my own post, as Substack added pledge buttons of its volition after I hit send. Grrr. Wasn't there in the drafts, and this is a free newsletter. So bad on them!
How serendipitous (I had to look up how to spell that!). I also came here from Sarah Fay's thread last week and so enjoyed your story. The co-incidence was that I came to my laptop to look up hot chocolate recipes and ended up pulling down Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel from my bookshelf instead, a wonderful book that is full of recipes with heart-tugging, emotional resonance.
Food is so powerful, in life and in writing. It connects us to each other and to those we've lost. There's a short story I have been trying to write for years about a meal of pasta and sauce that my husband made for me when I came out of hospital after having our baby and how I simply cried and cried with the happiness of it all: the delicious taste of it (after a week of bad hospital food) and the new family we had become. Thank you for bringing all these thoughts together for me.
Finally, I saw Past Lives in a tiny cinema near Fort William in Scotland and I'm afraid it didn't really work for me. I thought it was just a bit underplayed.
Hi Helen,
Found you via Sarah Fay's Friday thread and so glad I did! This is so moving. Cooking is the ultimate healing practice in so many ways. When I was in India I learned a saying, "I made this in your name." It means, while someone is cooking a dish, they are thinking of you and putting their love for you into it. So you've made 25 soups in your mothers name. (Did you actually get through the whole list??) Honestly, our relationship with our mother is our origin story and our original wound. All mixed together in a pot like soup.
And when I was in London in August I saw Past Lives. Great film.
Helen - I so look forward to your newsletters. They're informative, vulnerable, beautifully written and thought provoking. Thanks so much for sharing.