Together Even When Apart

I’ve never been much of a cook. I mean, I know how to read a recipe and put together a meal, it’s just not something I love to do. The majority of my siblings are gourmet when it comes to the kitchen. For family dinners, I’m usually assigned chips or a salad. We had a grandmother who we joke her love language was giving of food. Everyone was welcomed at her table and she made sure everyone was well fed. I’m not sure how I missed that food gene.

This Easter felt strange. We did the egg hunt in our living room and a little church service in our home. The original plan was to go to my sister’s and have a huge cousin Easter egg hunt and then a family feast. However, with COVID-19, like many plans, our Easter plans were canceled. Determined to make my little family’s Easter dinner something special, I reached out to my mom and got the recipe for her Cheese And Sour Cream Potato Casserole she made every Easter and I got my mother-in-law’s recipe for Caramel Apples And Yams she makes every year. I slaved over the stove and burnt the caramel sauce the first try, so I had to throw it out and start again. However, in the end, the meal turned out really well.

As I savored these family recipes, I felt a little closer to my family members as we celebrated miles apart in our own homes. My cooking grinch heart also grew a size or two. I may never compare to my grandma in the kitchen, but I gained a greater appreciation and understanding of how and why she fed others with love.