Reset

Today started hard and got worse. Our area has been under a flood watch for two days, and for the second day in a row, the proof of the need for a flood watch was in our basement. Two days in a row of filling and emptying the Shop-Vac repeatedly. But today, I could only think about all of the other work that I needed to be doing, like end of year reports and lectures for my summer class. And that frustration pretty much set the tone for the day.

Until dinner time. 

This summer, the kids are cooking one night a week. G and N had chosen the recipes earlier, and then I was just supposed to serve as their assistant. When they had looked through my Taste of Home cookbook, they had chosen Melon with Raspberry Sauce to start, followed by Lazy Lasagna (which we had to double or so to make work for our family). I suggested they add our favorite bread stick recipe (found on 320*Sycamore), and the menu was set.

Something about cutting and (imperfectly!) fanning out melon slices made me pause and served as a reset for the day. I remembered why I love cooking for my family. It's a way of preparing a space for conversation and family. It's a way to create a tangible experience of love for my family. It's a way of reminding each other how to slow down and take moments for peace.