Natalie Nalepa

Food brings friends and families together unlike anything else that I can think of. For many busy families, mealtime is the only time where the family can sit down together and talk. Oftentimes, family and friends come together and eat a big turkey for Thanksgiving and Christmas. A lot of people also share the tradition of the Easter ham. In the summer, we go outside, play Frisbee, drink beer, and grill hotdogs and hamburgers to honor Memorial Day, the 4th of July, and Labor Day. Food is usually a good excuse to get together with people if you can’t find any other reason to. Everyone has to eat to survive.
Food shows us different cultures from all over the world. Here in Chicago, we can get Mexican food, Chinese food, Japanese food, and Polish food, or food from pretty much any country you can think of. I enjoy living in a country where people travel here from all over the world and open up restaurants, so that we can experience their delicious food.
Food helps to preserve cultural traditions, and keep people connected to their roots. My family usually always eats Polish food for any major holiday. Ones of these food items include sauerkraut. I personally cannot stand sauerkraut, and I choke it down just so I don’t hurt the chef’s feelings. I know that sauerkraut will probably always be around because my father makes it, my great uncle made it, my grandfather made it, and my great grandfather made it. One day, I will probably feel obligated to make it, just so that I do not break the tradition. Despite my lack of interest towards sauerkraut, I do like plenty of other polish food that my family and I enjoy, such as dumplings, pirogues, and Polish sausage.
Sometimes people get together and eat food for happy occasions, like a wedding or a baby shower. Sometimes people get together and eat food for sad occasions, such as a funeral or a going away party. Even during a sad occasion, people get together and remember happy times while they eat their food.
Although I love and believe in food, food must not be wasted, and must be enjoyed in moderation, in order to prevent serious health complications. Food is something that is plentiful in America, but not in other parts of the world. There are many people suffering from starvation. However, with food, this problem can be fixed. Food can mean life or death to thousands of people. I strive to do whatever I can to not waste food, and to do my part in ensuring that hungry people are being fed. I participate in food drives and donations. Food is something that I admire, and something that everyone should be able to enjoy.