I speak most weeks about food, but it occurred to me that there are other activities besides eating that fill us up and boost our souls. The word sustenance means “being supplied with the necessaries of life” or “something that gives support, endurance, or strength”. This certainly covers a wider range than just the physical food we need to survive. How do you fill your plate?

I treated myself this past week to a ticket for “Moulin Rouge”, a ballet performed by the Royal Winnipeg company. I have been a ballet fan since I was four years old and my parents took me to see “The Nutcracker”, and seeing the ballerinas on stage in their pointe shoes still dazzles me. I was transported to the streets of Paris as the young heroine glided across the floor with her lover, and I clapped as the girls did their famous can-can routine. The few tears I let fall at the end of the performance were not just for the tragic ending but also because the magic was over. I could have watched all night.

I can get lost in a good book too. Although as I have mentioned my book club friends and I can spend much of the evening not discussing the book we read, we can also have passionate arguments about the motivations of characters or the validity of an incident in the story… just as if we had been there taking part in it all.

Movies are a wonderful indulgence as well. Whether you watch a documentary that brings you a better understanding of a culture or an animal’s habitat, or you escape with a spy thriller or a comedic farce, all of these are ways to slide into another existence and add that to your own experience. We can live vicariously alongside the players in a film, sharing their every emotion from the comfort of our own chair. Sometimes we may even be motivated when we get out of the chair to take action, if we are moved sufficiently. Or maybe we are simply reminded of the value of escape Martin and I saw “Where the Wild Things Are” last week and were thrilled with the way the young boy’s fantasies were put on screen. It made us remember there is a lot to be said for letting our imaginations take hold every once in a while, and just enjoying the ride.

I could compare all of these experiences to food…

The ballet for me is like a meal at a Michelin four star restaurant: there are multiple courses with many flavours, and every morsel is mulled over to make the memory last.

A good book is the same as cookies and a cup of tea: a lovely break in the day when I can recharge my batteries

A movie is dessert: truly indulgent, an escape from the everyday necessities like fruits and veggies and a chance to maybe just have a nice treat like a piece of chocolate cake (a simple movie that pleases me) or something fancier like a tasting plate with chocolate terrine, crème brulee and a beautiful tuile on the side.

Life is meant to be enjoyed. If we have to eat our broccoli or parsnips, then we should reward ourselves with chocolate cake or lemon soufflé to finish the deal, don’t you think? The balance of working and playing needs to be the same for us to be sustained. To paraphrase what a great bear once said, “there’s always time for a little something.” Winnie the Pooh may have been a silly old Bear, but he did live a happy long life.

Kristin