Some good from the pandemic?

Unquestionably, this country has been in a giant funk for more than two years now.

And so much of our lives have been disrupted.

I don’t need to go over all the bad that’s happened. We all know.

But I’m a “glass half full” type person. Or I try to be. So I try to look for the good amongst the bad.

And if something good has come from our “pandemic experience” it could be this: It has changed our relationship with food. 

For starters, supply chain disruptions and shortages of all kinds of things have rung the alarm about how fragile our system of reliable nutrition is. People realize that they can’t always get what they want, when they want it.

So it’s forced us all to take steps to protect ourselves. Plan ahead. And secure a lifeline of essentials for times when things get tough. 

That’s unquestionably good. 

We’ve also – and I’m speaking for myself here as well – have sharpened our cooking skills. When you can’t go out, or don’t feel comfortable doing so, you’re forced to dust off your oven mitts and take control of the kitchen.

More often than not, what we make at home is healthier, more nutritious and more rewarding than something we get at a restaurant. 

When you take the time to make a meal, it simply tastes better. This is especially true if we get a chance to do it together, or even get the kids involved. These are life skills that we often take for granted. 

We’ve also rediscovered the value of shopping and buying locally produced food. When it’s harder to get things from point A to point B, we’re forced to uncover what’s made in our own backyard. 

And sometimes that means literally grown in our own backyard. The interest in having your own garden – and the self-reliance that comes from it – has also exploded.

I can’t wait to dust off my gardening skills once it gets a little warmer. And put that fresh produce to work in some new recipes I’ll cook myself. 

If it weren’t for the last couple years, who knows if I’d be doing this. But I found I really like cooking, even if it’s just for the two of us.

And that’s a little good that’s come out of all of this nonsense. 

I’ll take it.