088 A Complicated Father's Day with Anita of Wild Thistle Kitchen

Our experience of holidays are as diverse and complicated as families, emotions, and grief. In this Father’s Day episode, Anita of Wild Thistle Kitchen explores all of these topics so beautifully and bravely.

Anita’s father, Scott, wasn’t the typical dad, (if there is such a dad, really, outside of movies). His work brought him all over the world, where he embedded himself in the local cultures for months or even years at a time, away from his family. When Scott was home, he could sometimes be a loner when some moods hit.

And yet, despite this, he was Anita’s caretaker, support system, music teacher, encourager, partner in adventure, and example in living a life of exploration and freedom, both in the kitchen and out of the kitchen.

I’ll admit that, as I listened to Anita talk, I wanted to play armchair psychologist - to dive deep and try to make sense of her experience of her father in a way that I could categorize and explain for myself. But the reality is pretty simple. Anita and her dad were soulmates - they just got each other. They loved each other, they were there for each other, and they were a gift to one another.

Whether Father’s Day is complicated by your personal experiences of family, regret, or grief or whether Father’s day is a joyful celebration of a man who was everything he should have been, Anita’s story will resonate and make you feel that Father’s Day has room for you and your experiences also.

Highlights

The exhausting, complicated process of grief
Anita’s father as the rebel son, care taker, free spirt, traveler, writer, musician
What Anita used to think every time she saw an airplane
Scott's greatest legacy
A Shepherd's Pie Recipe as a window into Scott's personality
"A soulmate doesn't have to be a romantic partner"
Anita's connection to her family's land
Cooking wild thistles