Sharing food is a central act in life. It has a power that extends beyond providing for nutrition and physical survival. The offering of bread is central to so many of the world's religious celebrations' it obviously feeds the soul along with the body. There is a healing power in these food traditions which is rooted in the heart of community.
If you have recently received a phone call from a friend breaking the dreaded news of her breast cancer diagnosis, you are probably wracking your brain as how to best support her over the coming months of treatment. It would be perfectly natural or instinctive to place feeding her or her family at the top of your list. However, it is important to make sure that your help does not become a burden to your friend in any way and end up defeating the best of your intentions.
A few thoughtful considerations can go a long way in ensuring that you will be welcomed when you ring her doorbell or step in through the back door over the next few months. Before automatically assuming that your cooking is what she wants, be direct and ask her family. Sometimes there is a family member who already does that job and finds comfort in the task. You certainly would not want to try to disrupt this. Maybe in that case your friend would prefer knowing that you could help with laundry or cleaning on some scheduled basis. These tasks are often overlooked by individuals hoping to help.
If after your initial inquiries, cooking does still appear to be a truly helpful way to contribute to your friend's situation, there are further considerations to make. Ask the family to be upfront about food likes and dislikes, perhaps getting them to share a few favorite recipes. Naturally, you will want to know about any ingredient allergies, vegetarian requirements or religious restrictions. Stay away from too many rich dishes and concentrate on simple, straightforward nutrition. You do not want the family to feel as though they have been constantly eating on a cruise liner.
Deliver food in containers that do not require returning. Individual sized portions prepared for the freezer is often an excellent idea for a busy family or a sick person whose appetite is unpredictable. The breast cancer patient will have dietary ups and downs with her chemotherapy, so be sensitive to any food requirement that may help her.
To make the task easier for yourself, enlist mutual friends in coordinating a cooking and delivery schedule with you, a communal sharing of effort and expense. Helping stock the freezer with dishes of self-contained meals may be the right way to go for both the casserole brigade and your friend. Don't forget to let the family know that under no circumstances are they to be burdened by writing Thank You notes. Tell them that the best thanks you could ever hope to receive is their well-being. - 31521
If you have recently received a phone call from a friend breaking the dreaded news of her breast cancer diagnosis, you are probably wracking your brain as how to best support her over the coming months of treatment. It would be perfectly natural or instinctive to place feeding her or her family at the top of your list. However, it is important to make sure that your help does not become a burden to your friend in any way and end up defeating the best of your intentions.
A few thoughtful considerations can go a long way in ensuring that you will be welcomed when you ring her doorbell or step in through the back door over the next few months. Before automatically assuming that your cooking is what she wants, be direct and ask her family. Sometimes there is a family member who already does that job and finds comfort in the task. You certainly would not want to try to disrupt this. Maybe in that case your friend would prefer knowing that you could help with laundry or cleaning on some scheduled basis. These tasks are often overlooked by individuals hoping to help.
If after your initial inquiries, cooking does still appear to be a truly helpful way to contribute to your friend's situation, there are further considerations to make. Ask the family to be upfront about food likes and dislikes, perhaps getting them to share a few favorite recipes. Naturally, you will want to know about any ingredient allergies, vegetarian requirements or religious restrictions. Stay away from too many rich dishes and concentrate on simple, straightforward nutrition. You do not want the family to feel as though they have been constantly eating on a cruise liner.
Deliver food in containers that do not require returning. Individual sized portions prepared for the freezer is often an excellent idea for a busy family or a sick person whose appetite is unpredictable. The breast cancer patient will have dietary ups and downs with her chemotherapy, so be sensitive to any food requirement that may help her.
To make the task easier for yourself, enlist mutual friends in coordinating a cooking and delivery schedule with you, a communal sharing of effort and expense. Helping stock the freezer with dishes of self-contained meals may be the right way to go for both the casserole brigade and your friend. Don't forget to let the family know that under no circumstances are they to be burdened by writing Thank You notes. Tell them that the best thanks you could ever hope to receive is their well-being. - 31521
About the Author:
Ms. Winfield is director of support for Fight Like A Girl. She also publishes breast cancer survival stories to encourage other women. Please use this resource consider buying a t-shirt for the cure: Breast Cancer T-Shirt.
