Agapi

My father was relentlessly passionate about life, knowledge, language, people and experience. I remember the first time I went to Greece, his homeland, and felt that contagious appetite for life in everyone I met. The people in the streets seemed wild with life, full of expression and passion for the moment. It is a lifestyle and culture that totally excited every aspect of me. There is a certain zest for life and community that is just so vibrant - I mean, people gather at the Platea (municipal squares) simply to be together and enjoy each other, creating a culture of closeness and enthusiasm. Even the language is full of poetic expressions - strangers will wish you ‘off to the good may you go’ normally… And that’s a stranger so imagine how loved ones communicate. It’s beautiful.

 The elders wake up early to water the gardens for fertile seeds to grow and the youth play all day. And always, they dine together, spending hours at the table eating soulfully cooked meals. As we sit together, we loudly share our thoughts, stories, fears, and truths: our words flow as a melody of emotions that pour over the food to bless it with sacred appreciation and honesty.