Reconnecting Over Sandwich Symbolism: Let's Catch Up and Have a Chat

Tahini, chicken breast, cheese, lettuce, and tomato were all combined on top of each other between two slices of bread, which were carefully wrapped in a folded paper napkin. Aluminum foil protected the creation and embraced all the nourishment and love that the two hands prepared. Four sandwiches in a row were waiting on the refrigerator shelf for their recipients.

"We should catch up and have a chat," "how are you?" "how have you been sleeping?" Questions filled with concern to express love. A wish, a kiss, and the shelf emptied, waiting for the next day.

These small daily preparations become sources of joy, relief, and closeness for both the one who makes them and the one who accepts them. The dedication in the moment of preparation turns them into a daily ritual of love that immerses those present in the space.

But what happens when the sandwich returns wrinkled but whole, or almost whole, or almost crumpled? What does it mean for the recipient or for the one who prepared it? What feelings did it generate, or what unfulfilled expectations were left behind?

Did love, perhaps, get measured by the bites that were eaten? Despite our own needs, preferences, tastes, or opinions about what is healthy, do we continue to prepare with the same ingredients? Or do we introduce ourselves and our loved ones to new flavors?

Adaptation is the flexibility that allows us to embrace the different, just like when we stand in front of a room's door and move aside to let the stranger waiting outside pass. It's how love continues to exist with the same dedication, the same reverence, but with new spices that we try mixing with butter and spreading on our loved ones' bread.

"We should catch up and have a chat," "how was your day?" and maybe even a heartfelt "I missed you."