How was the spelling test? Who is the latest crush we can tease you about? What’s going on with friend drama?
When I was in college and in the years after I left home, when I returned, I often sat at the kitchen counter and talked to my mom as she cooked. I’d set the table without being asked, and when I was more grown up, we’d have a glass of wine together, laughing over some crazy family story or another. Even though I took them for granted as an adolescent, these dinners were what I missed most when I was away. Sitting over a gray tray of lukewarm, bland dorm cafeteria food, I felt a wave of homesick nausea. I longed for my family, the wooden salad bowls we always used, the random topics we discussed, and even the spilled milk. My despair was overwhelming.
Speaking of despair: As I’m writing this, the election was just last week. Like many I knew, the loss of the Harris/Walz campaign was a devastating blow. I went through the day on Wednesday in a fog of emotions – confusion, sadness, disbelief, anger, frustration, grief, fear – and then it was dinner time.
Dinner falls under my job description in my home, and I usually enjoy it. I plan for the week and grocery shop in a giant session, attempting to stock up enough milk, fruit, veggies, and protein for a week of lunches and dinners.