What Is The Concept of Love, Jane?

And What Does Food and Stories Really Mean?

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What Is The Concept of Love, Jane?

Do you know what inspired the concept of Love, Jane? When I was a little girl, I would always see how my beautiful mama, my grandmother, would entertain with a big smile on her face. Her smile wasn't just on her lips; it would shine through her eyes. Her smile would light up any room at any time. She made everyone who entered our home feel welcome and appreciated. She wanted everyone to feel seen.

She taught me that meaningful beauty starts from the inside. I still hold all her jewels, her voice of wisdom, in my heart.

A Beautiful Dance.

There my beautiful mama stood with her priceless smile, dancing with my grandfather (Daddy). He was spinning her around, both laughing, as I watched from the kitchen doorway.

"Come on, suga' lump."

He reached for my hand, using the nickname he always called me. I laughed as he spun me around, joining in on their fun.

The next morning, it was back to routine. It was a school day for me.

Mama went to give my grandfather his coffee, like always, but he wouldn’t wake up. At first, she thought he was pretending, playing his usual game of pretending not to hear her until he'd break into a smile, reach for his cup, and laugh. He'd done it before.

"Come on. Your coffee’s going to get cold," she said with a playful nudge.

Mama later told me that it looked like he had a smile. But the laughter... where was the laughter? Why was it taking so long?

It was then that she realized that the night before had been our last dance together, the three of us.

I was a little girl, only a few years into Elementary school. No more long walks with Daddy, where he'd hold my hand and tell me how special I was. No more watching him cross his legs at the kitchen table, a newspaper spread before him as he sipped his steaming cup of Folger's coffee. No more rolling sliced bread with him as tight as a fruit roll-up to dip in coffee and getting a taste because my Daddy said I could. No more. No. More. Our time with him at that moment had come to an abrupt end.

Young Jamie (Jane).

I always enjoyed sitting at the table with Mama. I wanted so badly for my grandfather to join us again ... but he couldn't. He was gone. I would sometimes daydream, staring and standing at the table with the plates in my hand.

As if she could read my mind, she would say, "I know, baby." She would talk to me and comfort me. "We can still eat together, sweetheart."

"I know, mommy. I'm happy about that." Pointing to the center of the table. "We can put everything right there. I can pass whatever food you want to you, and when I want something, you can pass it to me. Like, if I said, 'Bread, please,' then you hand me the bread."

She smiled the smile that still lingers beautifully in my mind and heart. She hugged me and planted a kiss on my cheek.

She would talk to me and allow me to express my emotions while we both navigated through our loss. We have always been very close. The blessing is that we had each other.

Fun and Funny Fact: I slept in my mommy's bed until I got married. When my grandfather passed away, I stopped sleeping in my bed and went to their bed. Ha ha!! And I enjoyed every minute of it. We would eat snacks and watch our favorite food shows when they started airing on television. We would watch my favorite cartoons. We would sometimes watch talk shows. Mama had a beautiful jewel many times during shows, and even during regular shows that would come on television.

One time, we watched a show where the character was surprised with a piece of cake. It wasn't her favorite flavor. She said, 'I don't eat that kind of cake.'

Mama turned to me. "Sweetheart, how would you have handled it?"

"I would say, 'Thank you. Hmmm", I said, tapping both sides of my cheeks with my pointer fingers. "If I don't like the cake, I would say thank you, and when I get home, give it to you or see if someone else likes it."

She nodded her head. "It's plenty of ways to handle things without hurting someone's feelings."

She made space for conversations with grace for others.

She always had many beautiful stories to tell. That's why I love storytelling so much now. It's why, growing up, I was always — and still am — so fascinated by other storytellers. Some may not consider themselves storytellers, but the way they share their stories and the gift of inviting others to take a walk with them in that moment - that's a storyteller.

Beauty.

I love eating with my beautiful family. Eating with my husband and my children means so much to me. Launching Love, Jane felt so exciting to me. I call it a business, but it's what I love to do. I have enjoyed cooking and entertaining ever since I was a little girl.

I use food and stories as the medium with Love, Jane, but really, I am healing young Jamie (Jane), who wanted to have more meals with my father and who enjoyed every meal with my mama. I am also creating moments for those who wish to have meals with their family, but may not be able to prepare them for whatever reason.

I’d love to create a beautiful moment for you to linger around the table and fill up, not just on food, but on memories and good conversations with those who matter. Love, Jane consists of layers of what matters to me.

You May Have Noticed.

I have started to share wellness content. As I learn new things about wellness, I love to share them. As a young teenager, I had issues with fatigue and swelling. After all of those doctors' visits, I am just learning that I have intolerances to some ingredients I've been consuming for years. The inside of my body has dealt with so much inflammation from having to tolerate foods it didn't want. Sharing wellness content sometimes is my way of inviting you along to learn with me.

Thank you for accepting my invitation.