Soul Food

by Kristi Jo Jedlicki

It is said that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Since I am neither a man nor a chef, I don’t know if that adage is true or not, but I do know that a certain kind culinary gesture was pure soul food for me when I was in the throes of depression and anxiety.

One of the silver linings of the dark emotional clouds that enveloped me was the support and kindness that some people offered to me so graciously. Sometimes, this support and kindness came in the most unexpected ways from the most unexpected sources. One time, it came in the form of one of my favorite sandwiches from a sweet friend.

Kristy and I graduated from the same high school and college, but we were in different grades. We have remained friendly over the years, and when I felt at my worst, she was always ready with a kind word, a prayer, and empathy. When she mentioned that she was taking her son on a visit to our alma mater, the University of Dayton, I jokingly said to stop at Milano’s, one of our favorite local spots, for a Canadian Bacon and Provolone sandwich, which is what I always order there. After I made this remark, I honestly forgot all about it, until my doorbell rang late in the afternoon.

I opened the door to find Kristy standing there holding a carry out bag containing my order. While I tend to cry easily, I have to say that this was the first time a sandwich made me shed tears.

My voiced cracked as I thanked Kristy, and her eyes filled with tears as she simply said, “You’re welcome. I understand”.

We tearfully embraced before leaving me to enjoy this special delivery.

That sandwich did more than satisfy my craving for college comfort food. It nourished my soul. It was a reminder that even though I felt immensely alone and completely unlovable that I was neither. Kristy’s seemingly small gesture of shepherding that sandwich over 150 miles from the deli to my front door was one that made a positive difference in the fight of my life. Her kindness made me smile the first genuine smile in months, and it truly touched my heart to know that she really did care about me. So, whenever you think that a particular act of kindness is too small to be meaningful, think again.

 

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Read more content from Kristi on the authors page.

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Author – Kristi Jo Jedlicki resides in Kentucky, where basketball, horses, and bourbon reign supreme, and not necessarily in that order.

She says she is “a perfectly flawed southern girl who dreams big and has stories to tell. I am simply myself, and I am many things to many people, including, but not limited to:

• a better ex-wife than wife
• a mom to two extraordinary daughters
• a southerner raised by Yankee parents
• the youngest of three daughters, who puts the fun in dysfunctional
• a loyal friend to a diverse cast of characters
• a social worker
• a writer and blogger
• an avid lover of music of all sorts
• a big dreamer, despite living through some nightmares
• a pessimistic optimist or an optimistic pessimist

Kristi is also the writer and keeper of the That’s Another Story blog, which she hope entertains, educates, and/or encourages at least one person along the way, as she strives to change herself and the world one day at a time.

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