You know how you evolve and grow as a person, and now that you are older you are wiser and more skilled and really awesome? Until you’re back home with your family…then suddenly, somehow, you are the same kid you used to be, with those awkward quirks and sad lack of knowledge? How does that happen???
Prime example: Thanksgiving dinner.
Let me give you some background:
When I was younger, This was pre-Pinterest, before HGTV and The Pioneer Woman, or even Google. There were not thousands of amazing recipes at my fingertips, complete with reviews and tips. And cooking just wasn’t on my radar. I never learned how to cook. I was never really interested in it, nor was I made to do it, until I was out on my own and I had no choice…and no clue whatsoever.
Nearly ever year at one of our family gatherings my sister recalls the time I had to call her to ask how to make pork chops and rice. My first few years of marriage I had to call my mom time and time again to ask questions about the simplest of foods. Grilled cheese. Boiled eggs. Spaghetti.
Needless to say, once I was married I had to start taking food to Thanksgiving along with everyone else. And I was relegated to rolls and green bean casserole. Which, at the time, was fine by me. Green bean casserole only has, like, 3 ingredients, and the recipe is right there on the can in case you forget it. And, well, rolls. Nothing to screw up, no pressure.
Fast forward 10 or so years, and guess what, folks: I am no longer a cooking newbie. I am a bonafide adult, with a family and a home. Thanks to the internet, I am capable of concocting delicious dinners that amaze and delight. Guess what? Following a recipe is not that difficult! No longer am I limited to vegetable soup or chicken casserole. Now I’m all, Mexican street corn, chicken parmigiana, and pumpkin pecan cobbler.
But not with my family, folks. Every Thanksgiving my sister makes the fancy potatoes, my mom makes the meat and the stuffing, and me? Green bean casserole and rolls.
Well, not this year. This year I took a stand. This year, I was in charge of dessert! I made Mocha Fudge Pie, and it was delicious. People had seconds. Leftovers were fought over.
Okay, so I still brought rolls. But that’s okay, I broke out of the mold, and I showed the world (my family) that I am not that same little clueless kid I used to be. I am a capable adult.
You know what, though? I also realized that some of those old family roles are not so bad after all. They are the stuff of shared memories and laughter, bonds strengthened and stories passed on to my children. I love my family, I love our old familiar rhythms and our new traditions. I am blessed, and I am thankful for our gatherings, green bean casserole and all.
