Welcome to my Virtual Table
Over the months, like many of us, I’ve found myself in the kitchen. Sometimes it is tackling a recipe like Julia Child’s Beef Wellington because I’d watched Julie and Julia post a crying break down and feel comfort in creating something beautiful. Others, it’s in the darkness of our home, lit by the freezer, taking a bite out of the Jeni’s pint because that little spoon of something cold is one little spot of warmth.
Others moments, or all at once, I’ve been digging into the deep pool of mental health. That unknown land that sometimes only feels more vast in a world that we are living in today. And, many a times over one of these dishes or a shared cone in the kitchen for a snack break on a Tuesday, I’ve felt what it means to take care of our head and heart too.
And amidst all of that, I’m reminded of the warmth of gathering around the table, or the kitchen island, or the coffee table, over a bottle of wine or cheesecake, or apple cider pork ribs. It’s not only the feeling of gathering around the table, or the sweet warmth of what’s on our plates and in our cups that fill us up. But often it’s those moments after the plates and cups become empty that the space is filled with conversation. The discussions are rare, ones that only linger in those hours after a dinner. Over tea candles, our fellow diners appear to come alive, melting away the jackets they wore in, and opening up to who they are.
Our dreams are illuminated by candles and our depths are felt with the weight of the wine as the words leave our mouth. Around the table, is the space where we begin to connect with ourselves and others. And I miss it dearly.
As tayduden.com has grown, and the tea candle on my counter is placed next to my laptop instead of a dinner plate, I’ve come to realize exactly what it is that we are doing. Together, we’ve shared conversations reminiscent of the ones we find late at night in the comfort of our homes of as we shut down the restaurant as the last guests of the night. Looking through the podcast’s Guests of Honor, a warmth washed over me at the true honor of seeing the photos of each, unique, person smiling back. Each guest came with their story, and unpacked it over our virtual table. What a gift it is to have shared a meal and a conversation with them.
We’ve felt the beauty of food and what it can do for our hearts. We’ve had the conversations that sometimes only bloom over the dinner table. The important ones that are good for our minds.
As someone who believes in the beauty of food and drink, and the importance of our head and heart, what a beautiful thing to find a home for both.
Going forward, I am so pleased to invite each of you to be a guest at my virtual table.
Under “On the Table,” we’ll share recipes, food, and drink that can use our hands, stretch our minds, and fill us up.
In the Podcast section, you’ll meet many incredible people who have pulled up a seat at our table, talking all things food, drink, mental health, and everything in between. Click play and join the conversations.
Just as we would after dinner together, Late Night Conversations is a place to unpack the big topics of finding joy, taking care of our mental health, growing our relationships, and what it means to live.
And because sometimes these conversations and moments in life can be big, Table Tips now exists with guidance on how we can best show up for our fellow guests, both at the table and long after our dinner is through.
Finally, a piece of my heart lies in creating warm spaces or finding a dress for our meal that feels like joy, so I’ll be sharing a bit of that too under Setting the Table.
Whether physically dining, or at this table of life, there is so much that these sweet moments connecting over food can teach us about what it means to truly connect with ourselves and others. It’s the places where we talk about the things that need to be said, where we pause to savor and enjoy. I’m so honored to welcome you to tayduden.com, and have you at our virtual table.
Cheers to you, your health, both mental and physical, and the authentic connections that are formed around the table.