Grove Life | Winter 2021

Good Food, Good Friends & Good Wine By Carla Hull F ood is the ultimate social agent. In a world where there life in general or current affairs, allowing bonding to take place over the food.

are over 7,000 estimated languages, food is the one thing that bridges every one of them. Sharing a meal is universal. Mealtimes have evolved from being a simple sustenance exercise to a true bonding

There is also the fun of eating different foods and sharing different recipes, especially across cultures. There is also evidence to suggest that eating together could be good for you; studies have shown that families that eat together are healthier, benefitting from lower rates of depression and obesity along with higher rates of literacy and self-esteem. So when I found this quote from Mister Rogers, “If only you could sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet; how important you can be to people you may never even dream of. There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person,” it came to that through food, and our service to you, our members, in the dining can have an enormous impact on your daily lives. To that, you will see more smaller venue opportunities for you to get to know your neighbors this year. An opportunity for you to leave something positive of yourself with your fellow members as you meet them for the first time or reminisce with those you’ve known since our humble beginnings 35 years ago. Our service team is taking extra steps to ensure your dining experience leaves you with something of themselves that is positive and longstanding. We aim to inspire you with magical moments and fond farewells. Let’s continue to enhance our community and pay it forward!

experience, one that holds a special place in several cultures around the world. From workplace lunches to intimate dinner parties, special event banquets or the weekly Sunday roast, many memories are often made whilst sat around the dining table. Long before America became the melting pot of culture that we are, the Greek Empire enjoyed food and dining as a group event to build camaraderie and conviviality. Cuisine was the catalyst. This continued throughout the Roman Era, during which the convivium (Roman dinner party) became a main stay in society. We may have come a long way since then, but the intrinsic role food plays within societies and families as a bonding agent has remained. Eating together essentially enables us to stay connected with the ones we love. Families and friends often use the time at the dinner table to talk about their days, weeks,

C ome G ather at O ur T able family food friends •

Vision Inspire and enable members to enjoy every day of their lives.

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