I’ve always found it funny how life comes full circle. If you aren’t looking for it, you might miss certain similarities between a past experience and the present. Here’s what I mean by similarities. Growing up, I loved watching people cook. There are so many staple recipes from my parents that when I smell them, to this day will bring me right back to my childhood. My aunt was an amazing cook. Anytime I got to be around her cooking; I’d ask her to teach me something. Same with my grandmothers, anytime I could learn or just watch; I would. My mom makes staple dishes that I demanded recipes for when I moved out. As I got older, my dad assumed the role of chef in the house. He prides himself on his concoctions, and we all look forward to tasting whatever it is he made. My mother-in-law made authentic Mexican recipes that were passed down from the generations in her family. This was another opportunity for me to explore my love of food and cooking. All these instances are obviously in the kitchen.
My husband and I got married in October 2012. It was my first ever move and we now lived 2000 miles away from home. In March 2013, we got our dog Newton. He was very timid at first and we spent a lot of time on the kitchen floor trying to get him to come take treats from us. I was extremely homesick, and I’d call my parents while sitting in the kitchen looking out the patio doors. My husband traveled and there was one instance where he went missing while in Africa. I couldn’t get ahold of him, and neither could his employer. Mentally, I was unable to work, and I stayed home, crying on the kitchen floor, just waiting for the phone to ring. In 2019, we became parents to a beautiful little boy. As he grew, I found myself spending more and more time on the kitchen floor. We’d watch him crawl through the kitchen, learn to eat real foods in the kitchen, ask to be chased through the kitchen, wanting to help cook in the kitchen, play race cars in the kitchen, dance parties in the kitchen, etc. In 2022, we had our daughter and now we get to watch history repeat itself! The dance parties have become our families favorite! There are so many more instances I’ve noticed of happy and sad times being experienced in the kitchen. For me, full lifetimes of learning, exploration, and love have all been made in the kitchen. I found myself making core memories on the kitchen floor and I wouldn’t change it for anything!