Feeding the Writer's Spirit and Feeding the Kids
Restacking posts from Andrew Boryga's "Dwell" and Shmuel Chaim Naiman's "The Healthy Jew"
Welcome to PeaceLinks, an archive of online readings about peace, cooperation, the middle ground, and the spread of decency.
Today’s Peacelinks sure look like an incoherent pairing from a daft editor.
Except for the fact that both featured authors are fathers of two young children (and it’s Father’s Day weekend in the U.S.), Dwell by Andrew Boryga and “The Healthy Jew” by
have no more in common than two strangers assigned to share a cabin at summer camp. According to his “About” page, Andrew aims to “put out little reflective essays on the writing practice that are authentic, engaging, and, hopefully, helpful to others.” Shmuel writes about wellness rooted in spirituality and philosophy. He is especially guided by the wisdom of the twelfth-century Jewish philosopher Maimonides, who “taught that a person enters humankind by using his mind to guide his body’s actions to a single immediate purpose: physical and emotional well-being” (“About,” “The Healthy Jew”).Authentic writing practices and a philosophy of wellness: What are the chances of these Father’s Day cabinmates hitting it off?
See what you think.
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Andrew’s latest post, “Baseball: My Useful Distraction,” demonstrates why it’s important for writers to have hobbies, avocations, or absorptions, rooting us in the world and keeping us in contact with people who are not writers. As a PeaceLink, this post also radiates with dignity and well-being when Andrew speaks of his teammates. The players may not have much in common off the field, but baseball gives them a common language and a common love.
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“The Healthy Jew” was a new discovery for me in the last couple of weeks, but I’ve enjoyed several posts from the archive, and, as a parent, I especially wanted to repost Shmuel Chaim Naiman’s May 30 reflection, “What about the Kids?” After advising his readers about healthy eating practices, he decides to flex a little on the kids’ diet. His explanation offers wisdom to any parent.
Instead of worrying that relaxed food standards are a problem, Shmuel asks what’s more important at a given time, Eating Well or Relating Well. There is Peace in the gentle movement of the mind from a healthy plate to a healthy relationship.
P.S. Who can resist the categories of real foods, almost-real foods, and food-like substances?
Finally, in honor of Father’s Day Sunday, here is a “dad”-post from Andrew, too:
What do you think? Do any of these posts put you in a more peaceful frame of mind? Does the reading experience remind you of the dignity in yourself or others? Does it remind you of your loves?
See you next Friday! :-)
P.S. Wait - stop the presses! Big news from Andrew Boryga this very day. Congratulations! Excuse me while I put in my order from his favorite indie bookstore in Miami …
Thanks Tara for the honorable mention! You put it better than me: "There is Peace in the gentle movement of the mind from a healthy plate to a healthy relationship." Reminds me of the anecdote of the guy who lived oh so perfectly healthy, died well over 100, and asked for the following tombstone: "Here Lies a Healthy Person". No matter how healthy our bodies, we'll all eventually end up 6 feet under. For health to have lasting meaning, it must be about relationships and values no less than calories and micronutrients!
These are fantastic! So uplifting. Thank you!