March 14, 2010

Vegetable shopping can be every bit as much of a spiritual experience as attending religious services. This might sound like a bit of a wild statement, but I strongly believe it is true.

Last night I was joking with my husband, Ian, and saying that some families go to church every Sunday, and that instead, we buy vegetables.

Every Sunday morning, we visit a vegetable stall in the traditional markets uptown with our three children, and buy fresh produce for the week. This shopping trip is a weekly ritual that my family has developed in recent times.

We agree that our weekly pilgrimage not only provides our family with nutrition, but with nourishment for our souls as well. Here are a few of the benefits we gain from vegetable shopping;

• We get to go out together with a purpose rather than just for fun.

• We undertake a task as a family that will provide healthy nourishment for us all for the week ahead.

• We support the business of the lovely elderly couple that operates the stall by spending more money than most local customers.

• We enjoy being valued customers and having motor scooters moved from the front of the stall to create our parking space.

• We feel a sense of community with the crowd of local residents all out and about with a similar purpose to ours.

• We appreciate the freshness of the produce that we can buy, the value for money we receive, and the money we have to pay for it.

• Our children learn to value fresh food, and to understand how important it is to our health and wellbeing. They also learn about where things come from, and how to select good quality produce.

• We enjoy each other’s company and the shared task at hand gives us a great way of interacting with our children and teaching them the value of money, and the importance of respecting others and being polite.

• We experience gratitude for the abundance of nature.

• We are grateful for the human kindness that we always experience when we keep open hearts and minds. This kindness may be in a warm smile, a helping hand, the little treats our children often receive…

While I respect the religious beliefs of any group or individual that keep a focus on love and unity, my own spiritual practices can be joyfully integrated into the mundane yet amazing rituals of everyday life.

Whether it is vegetable shopping, reading stories with my children, singing my heart out while washing dishes, or feeling immense gratitude at the gift of being able to express my thoughts in writing, simple yet uplifting experiences abound in my life.

What is your spiritual vegetable shopping?

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