The Kitchen is the Hearth and the Heart of the Home

Some of the best times of my life have been spent in the kitchen. Whether I’m the one “cooking up a storm” or if I’m watching my mother or sister cooking ackee and saltfish or some other savory Jamaican dish, our time in the kitchen inevitably evolves into connecting over food with loved ones, which elevates the kitchen into a sacred space.

The poem “The Hearth is Where Our Heart Flows Free” was inspired by this “spirit of the hearth” and I designed the corresponding art prints to grace the room where this spirit resides. The kitchen is just a place where food is prepared and cooked, but it can be so much more! It is the room in our home where Fire and Water can come together in the service of creating the most comforting, delicious nourishment our bodies and spirits need.

I reflect on ancient days when our nomadic ancestors gathered and hunted their own food for tens of thousands of years, followed by generations that settled into farming and ranching in one spot. The land reluctantly yielded up the ingredients that were then baked, roasted, and fried into simple meals. Today, organic gardening and baking from scratch are leisure activities for those of us who have the luxury of time. And when we slow down and invest that time in gardening, we are rewarded with the spirit-satisfying feel of nutrient-rich earth between our fingers, seemingly transporting us back in time. And when we bake from scratch, we are blessed with the soul-feeding aroma of baked goodness wafting through our home, almost tapping into some ancient collective consciousness. With Thanksgiving right around the corner, autumn is certainly the time of year to respond to the call of the hearth.

“By about 300,000 years ago, Homo erectus, Neanderthals, and the forefathers of Homo sapiens were using fire on a daily basis… [and] the best thing fire did was cook.”

Yuval Noah Harari, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind

And then there’s the company of family and friends in the kitchen. It just may be the best room in the house to relax into authentic community. Yes, we may move into the dining room for conversation over what has been prepared, but it is in the licking of the batter and the tasting of the sauce on a wooden spoon that we see that we are safe and might coax us into opening into vulnerability, even if only energetically until enough moments of trust are collected to confess our true thoughts and feelings in a private moment. Deeper relationships at home are inspired by authentic experiences in the kitchen. Food and community are intrinsically linked, and the more authentic the vibe in the kitchen, the more connected the community of the home. 

Deeper relationships at home are inspired by authentic experiences in the kitchen. 

There’s no more intimate relationship than the one we have with our own bodies and my relationship with food begins and ends in the kitchen. My greatest act of self care is to prepare food and eat mindfully, protecting my body temple from junk food and insisting on pure and good quality fuel. I may have to remind myself to do this, not so that I can sport a flat tummy or fit into size 4 jeans, although that would be lovely. It is so that I can celebrate the faithful and consistent way my body has shown up for me for over 50 years, doing all of my heavy lifting and taking me where I want to go, healing my wounds and generating my best ideas. 

Whatever the idea of “the hearth” brings up for you, I wish you abundant blessings and hope you will enjoy “The Hearth is Where Our Heart Flows Free”. A gift from my kitchen to yours.