I generally don't have to explain the idea of filming family food to people more than once because the reaction I get is always the same.
“I wish I had a video of my Grandma in the kitchen…
she died this year.
I’d give anything to have a video of her.”
I want to tell you a story about one girl in particular. She got quite emotional when I told her the idea of building a community of people who record their family food and stories then pass them down for generations. Just days earlier, This girl’s family had celebrated the life of her Grandmother by having a wake. After the wake, a big group of them had planned to go back to their late Grandma’s house and make these dumplings that they had always used to make together. Sounded to me like a delightful celebration.
They had their grandma's recipe in her 1920’s cursive hand writing.
They had the memory of her close to their hearts and minds.
They told stories about making the dumplings together in years gone by….and then,
amidst tears and frustration,
they realized they just didn’t know how to do it.
The whole thing ended in tears and ordering pizza.
When this gal finished telling me her story, she (and me too) had tears rolling down her cheeks. She buried her face in her hands and said to me: “It’s just that there’s no price that I wouldn't pay to have a video of my grandma making dumplings…doing anything — it sounds so silly now, I just miss the way she was everyday.”
“I just miss the way she was everyday.”
This is the crux of it.
It doesn’t have to be perfect, rehearsed, or filmed with a fancy camera. It’s about being intentional about making meaningful memories with what we have and just doing it.
While you’re practicing social distancing during this unusual time, I encourage you to think about the stuff you might be able to capture at home with your kids, or even of yourself. But also think about the people and the “everyday things” you miss about them right now. Does being apart from them during coronavirus inspire you to film them when all this is over?
Make sure to write your ideas down and if you can start today, start!
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