He opened up an understanding of cultures using the common language of food and wine and addressed tough and often taboo topics.
He was an unbelievable storyteller and a lifelong learner. He helped us experience other cultures through his eyes and offer a connectedness desperately needed in the world.
While accepting the Peabody award in 2013, he described how he approached his work.
“We ask very simple questions: What makes you happy? What do you eat? What do you like to cook? And everywhere in the world we go and ask these very simple questions,” he said. “We tend to get some really astonishing answers.”
A bright light in the world was extinguished on Friday but his gifts to the world will never be forgotten.
“There’s a picture of me and my daughter, aged four, in the Cayman Islands,” he wrote. “She’s sitting on my lap, eyes closed. I’m holding her tight, my face sunburned and blissed-out with the joys of fatherhood. I was 50 when I became a father of a little girl. I was finally old enough to be qualified for the job. Ariane has me wrapped around her finger. All I can realistically hope for is that she feels loved. That she has high self-esteem. And good martial-arts skills.”
Live your best life, be resilient, be curious and understand that everyone is struggling with something. Be present, express gratitude and love and kindness to yourself those around you.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “help” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go to https://
Colin
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