Happy Birthday, Dad! On Grieving, on Family, and on Comfort Foods.

**This week's blog post is dedicated to my late father whose birthday fell on Tuesday (April 12) of this week, and whose influence on my life and the lives of those around him won't soon be forgotten. Happy Birthday, Dad. I hope you're eating all the cake heaven's got to offer!

Now let's get straight into the heart of this post: family and food. Although we don't always realize it, food is often a way we say "I love you" to the people we make it for. We spend time crafting meals, setting tables, and putting in some beautiful finishing touches everytime we cook for the ones we love. And this is true to some extent with every meal we take the time to make for others; even the boxed ones.

I know this is true for my family at least, because we centered so much of our time around our family dinners. This was when we did the most talking, the most sharing, and the most enjoying. That emphasis on family dinners remained true in both my mom and my dad's households, and it gave us all a chance to spread some love.

Now not everyone will be able to relate to this, but my dad was an AWESOME cook. I remember when I was growing up, I always looked forward to the meals he was making. Not because they were particularly innovative or artistic, but because something about his special touch always made them delicious. And he wasn't making the majority of it by scratch might I add. Most of his meals came straight from a box or a microwave-safe bowl. A staple of his household: Hamburger Helper. But I LOVED these meals, and still to this day I can't recreate the Beef Stroganoff Hamburger Helper at the same level of deliciousness he did. But every year I continue to try my hand at some Hamburger Helper shaped love whenever I want to feel close to him.

My system isn't perfect, but on days that I find myself really missing him (like birthdays) I always try to have a meal dedicated to him. For awhile that meant getting dinner at his favorite restaurant by my house (a family-style Italian restaurant aptly called MANGIA MANGIA), but now it simply means finding or making food that reminds me of him. This year I bought Beef Stroganoff Hamburger Helper and used a vegan beef substitute, and next year I'll probably eat some (veggie) hotdogs with wonder-bread buns. These are simple foods. Meals that I wouldn't think twice about (or perhaps I would have frowned upon in the hot dog's case) if I had never experienced the joy of eating them with someone I love. They are comforting to me, and they help cheer me up when I need them most.

So, to those of you who have people to feed (families, friends, or others), remember that you don't have to choose the fancy recipe or the high quality ingredients in order to make memorable meals. Just get what you like, and make it for who you love. I promise, they'll remember it for a long time.

Stay compassionate, stay strong, and never let a label stop you from a comfort food.

Sincerely,

Madison Rhe

Little me going to town on some crab legs in a high chair with my dad and my sister smiling in the back