Thank You Mom for the Best Gift

Homemade vs. Take Out is not a fair competition. 

I cannot remember one time, not one, that we had a take-out meal for dinner as a family growing up. Not once.

My Mom made dinner every night for our family. I remember the moments gathered at the table with memories and discussion ranging from fun to serious. We talked about lots of things at dinner. I cannot remember one specific thing we discussed but I do remember it fondly.

My Mom worked as a teacher, serving kids with all her heart, dealing with nagging parents, and driving 40 minutes each way to and from work, 5 days a week. During my youth, she also completed two masters degrees while working 40+ hours a week, she did not take the easy road one little bit. Observing this as I grew up is the reason, I am sure of it, that I want to make dinner every night. 

Fast forward many years and when I got married and had a family, I always loved to cook and serve, trying to create the opportunity for sacred moments at the table with my family. It was an instinct. All meals were not fabulous from scratch creations, in fact many meals included out of the box, boil, strain, stir and serve side dishes. Kitchen help in the form of pre-packaged cooking helpers does not detract from the act of love. I believe it is the act of cooking and serving someone that makes it special to them, not everything has to be from scratch to make it memorable.

Our kids are all grown up now but, every night, I cook for my wife and anyone else who will join us. Sometimes it's our adulting kids and sometimes it is my sister and brother in law and sometimes it's friends. All are welcome.

Thinking more, maybe growing up we had some take out food as a family but if we did, I do not remember it, because it was never memorable. Take out is a solution for our need to eat but, in my opinion, take out is transactional, often good but never qualifying as delicious or memorable. Delicious and memorable at home seems, to me at least, reserved for food prepared with love. Even doing the dishes together at the end of the meal is another chance for togetherness, unencumbered by technology which is vying for our attention.

The lessons learned from observing my Mom are many, but one lesson I use every day is cooking and serving with love. Homemade, makes dinner time sacred time and that can never be replaced with take out. Here's to making dinner delicious and memorable everyday.

Happy Mothers day, I love you Mom, thank you.

Your son