Resilience: How Breaking Bread Helped Me Cope With Grief And Loss

Photo by Shelly Choo

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” Hippocrates’ quote took on new meaning for me after my mother passed away. From that loss I discovered the healing power of food; it helped me nourish both my body and my soul.

I lost my mother to cancer in 2006. A year after her passing, the cancer center where she was treated started construction on a new building. The building has a unique foundation because the names of patients are written on its steel beams. My mother’s name is part of that foundation. 

Although having her name there is special, my fondest memories of her are through her recipes. Whenever my family makes one of her dishes we are reminded of her. Simply put, the food makes us feel good. It helps us to create and share memories with the people we love. 

Breaking bread with others also brings me great joy. There is something therapeutic about getting together over a meal, because we end up sharing more than just food. We share our experiences - our peaks, our pitfalls, and everything in between. This is why I participate with a nonprofit organization called The Dinner Party, a worldwide community of 20- and 30-somethings who have each experienced the loss of a parent, partner, child, sibling, or close friend. 

From patients and survivors to families and friends, we are all affected by cancer in different ways. But we are not alone in our cancer experiences.

Recipes of Resilience

A collection of recipes, each dedicated to a loved one with cancer.