is mothers day a set up or what? let's see how much i am appreciated in this house? does my partner see me and how much i do? lets schedule all the praise & accolades for one day and see what happens.... i think it is a total set up for everyone involved... and let's just call a spade, a spade... it's only ONE day!?!? that's crazy pants. i am not waiting till next may to feel good about my mamahood, have a brunch, go get a pedicure & be appreciated etc... this year i did three things different... first, i took it upon myself to get some self-care in.. i used a gift certificate to get a desperately needed facial & pedicure as my heels or hooves (more accurately described) were beginning to make holes in the sheets, i asked my husband to cook dinner and i wrote my mother an email of meaning instead of signing a quick card that i buy and send.... it felt good on many levels. i took care of me instead of waiting to be cared for in a way i need to be... which is like bowling a strike in the dark.
i don't believe in one day for mothers.
i do believe mothers day can be everyday in the kitchen...especially when you feel confident, empowered and inspired by what you create to nourish yourself and your family. how to do this? what does this even mean? well... it is an individual journey & so specifically delicate in it's nature from how we create the food we gather, where we gather it from, how the food is received by our family, our fears & loves in cooking, our desires & resentments in our lives, all of it goes into the food... it's so amazing to just bring up the topic of food & cooking with a group of women or one woman & see how much emotion can fill a room in a minute... we are layered like a cake when it comes to this kitchen stuff... it's deep & there is a reason for it.
we are everything when it comes to our family and food. we decide where & what to buy, where & how we eat whether we are at the counter or the table together, we decide what we eat on whether it be the good china or paper/plastic, the list goes on and we haven't even cooked anything yet!! we are creating the most basic, primal, intimate pieces & memories about eating and food for our children... we are the kitchen culture in our home. it's like a gene we all share... a blood vessel...a heart... we either replicate what we came from or we create a new cellular structure all together....
i have memories of pavarotti and the gap band... ziti & tomato sauce... cnn with larry king some nights... and kentucky fried chicken on the boat with steely dan playing in the background... i remember our glass table...how much noise it would make if a spoon or juice glass fell on it... i remember my mom in the kitchen....
i know we can do this together... we can support and inspire each other to create what we want inside the kitchen, inside our families and our bodies... help our kids to know incredible food, beauty inside and out, understanding that there is not just one day for the good set of silver, for gifts, blessings & praise... it's everyday, you just have to make it so. i am here to help. see you in the kitchenxxxx
PS: the next RM gathering is thursday, june 9. lets get in the kitchen again!
Love this Jules! I actually cooked myself an amazing dish with sauted kale and avocado and tumeric rice. It felt good to be in the kitchen cooking FOR ME.
ReplyDeleteGreat Mothers' Day meanderings Jules. You are right to celebrate with much more meaning than a Hallmark card might bring. A little self-apprecition is definitely in order as we moms seldom get all we need from outside ourselves...
ReplyDeleteGreat blogspot....carry on. Lynn in Birmingham