Dinner For One

At the beginning of the first lockdown in 2020, my parents and I started this routine of taking pictures of our meals. I would send them photos of every lunch and dinner I had with Highflyer and vice versa my dad would send me a photo of their lunch (usually eaten at 12:00 on the dot). My colleagues have long got used to me taking a picture of my tray in the canteen, as have my friends of me first taking a picture of my plate before tucking in. Now that dad is gone, mum and I are continuing the tradition as it's an easy way to signal to the other party that you're alive and kicking without having to make a proper phone call. While I have always loved cooking and baking and also presenting food nicely on pretty plates, with aesthetic placemats and matching napkins, knowing that you're taking a photo of it, has elevated it to the next level and even when I eat alone, which often is the case due to Highflyer's and my sometimes mis-aligned work schedules, I eat well and I eat "pretty". To me, it's a form of self-care in the same league as taking a bath or reading a good book on the hammock in the garden. It's not an effort, but something I am happy to invest a little time in (even though I am a very fast cook) because it adds to my well-being.