Growing up, my parents fostered the love of good food and the importance of eating together as a family. My mom cooked meals from scratch, making sure we were filled with nourishing foods. On the weekends, my father would often make a big pot of oatmeal, and we would hold out our spoon after he dished up our bowls, and we would ask, “Honey on my spoooon??” He would swirl some honey in our bowl and finish it off with a squeeze on the spoon. My kids now do the same to me when I make them oatmeal!
But mealtime was not the only time spent together. My parents spent quality time with me and my siblings, and my mom took very seriously her job as a mother. Sick days at home did not mean turning on the TV and watching shows all day. It meant getting a special blanket in a chair by the back window, watching the birds that would come to the bird bath, and looking up the birds in her bird book to see which ones they were. We ate popsicles that would drip all down our faces and on our shirts. We had rollie pollie races on the side walk. We took soup in a big thermos on rainy days and went to the beach to eat it under the lifeguard tower, as we watched the rain fall down. We were given opportunities and real experiences as a child, that helped shape us into the adults we became.
As I am now a mother and have my own children, I realize just how fast time passes, and how important it is to make the most of the time we have. I try my best to give my children experiences that will fill their childhood with happiness and fun memories, like mine was. Life, like honey, is sweet, and it should be enjoyed! This line reminds me of my joyful childhood, the importance of spending time as a family, my love of wholesome good food, and the happiness and love that can be felt surrounding the table and enjoying food together.
