The Kitchen is the Heart of the Home
A tribute to my mom.
Every year at Christmas, I appreciate my mom a little more. I have such fond memories of Christmas growing up, and most of those memories were dreamed up and implemented by my mom. For the past couple of days, I have been working on the many step process of baking and decorating holiday sugar cookies. There is so much to do just to make one batch of good tasting and good looking cookies cut out like stars and angels and christmas bells and gingerbread men. My mom made these same cookies for us when I was growing up. For at least 10 years, she made batches and batches of them, and we kids covered them with homemade icing and every kind of sprinkle and decor imaginable. This is what kept us busy on Christmas Eve while we were waiting to open gifts.
As I have been rolling out, cutting and baking cookies today, I've thought a lot about my vocation in life right now. I'm a wife (hopefully a helper and support to Brett) and a stay-at-home mom and a homemaker. Being a homemaker is undervalued in our society right now, but I believe it is the most important thing that I could be doing at this season in my family's life. It's up to me to create a HOME for my family, and as Esther will remind you, home is an infinitely important thing. At any rate, during Christmastime, I am experiencing the truth of the saying, "The Kitchen is the Heart of the Home." So far today, I have spent about 5 hours in the kitchen with at least 3 more to come. Cookies; my first whole chicken I've ever cooked :); breakfast, lunch and dinner (chicken) for my family, the kids coloring in color books while they wait for their lunch, a couple of loads of dishes, a floor and a counter that are forever covered with crumbs. It's a lot of work, honestly, but so much of what happens in the kitchen makes home really home for my family and helps to create Christmas memories for my children.
Now, back to my mom. My mom was a stay-at-home mom. She made our home especially homey and fun at Christmastime. She sewed and decorated Christmas stockings for us. As an elementary school kid, I remember making NICE presents for my teachers, not just my homeroom teachers, mind you. . .also my music teacher, my PE teacher, the librarian, the principal, and so on. We not only made Christmas cookies but countless ornaments of varying complexities--Make It and Bake It will always have a special place in my heart. (That's a whole 'nother blog.) My brother and I even designed Christmas cards for our family, and my parents had them printed at a real printer because it was long before the days of Kinko's and desktop publishing. My mom is also always in search of the perfect gift for each person in the family. She really goes all out to find just the right thing. And every present is beautifully wrapped with coordinating ribbon, ornaments on top of the packages and gift tags that always match the paper. My mom didn't do this to be like Martha Stewart or to impress anyone. My mom did (and does) this, I believe, because she loved us and she wanted to make Christmas special.
But mom's homemaking didn't stop with Christmas. We always had homecooked meals, which was rare among my peers even when I was in high school. Mom made sure that we ate a good breakfast before we went to school and packed our favorites (not lunchables, homemade stuff) for lunch every day. I don't know if I'll ever log as many hours in the kitchen as my mom has, but now more than ever before I value what she did for us. As I try to think of creative ways to get Brett and the kids to eat vegetables, I know that my mom made the kitchen the heart of our home because she loved us. What an example to follow! The bar is set high.
Every year at Christmas, I appreciate my mom a little more. I have such fond memories of Christmas growing up, and most of those memories were dreamed up and implemented by my mom. For the past couple of days, I have been working on the many step process of baking and decorating holiday sugar cookies. There is so much to do just to make one batch of good tasting and good looking cookies cut out like stars and angels and christmas bells and gingerbread men. My mom made these same cookies for us when I was growing up. For at least 10 years, she made batches and batches of them, and we kids covered them with homemade icing and every kind of sprinkle and decor imaginable. This is what kept us busy on Christmas Eve while we were waiting to open gifts.
As I have been rolling out, cutting and baking cookies today, I've thought a lot about my vocation in life right now. I'm a wife (hopefully a helper and support to Brett) and a stay-at-home mom and a homemaker. Being a homemaker is undervalued in our society right now, but I believe it is the most important thing that I could be doing at this season in my family's life. It's up to me to create a HOME for my family, and as Esther will remind you, home is an infinitely important thing. At any rate, during Christmastime, I am experiencing the truth of the saying, "The Kitchen is the Heart of the Home." So far today, I have spent about 5 hours in the kitchen with at least 3 more to come. Cookies; my first whole chicken I've ever cooked :); breakfast, lunch and dinner (chicken) for my family, the kids coloring in color books while they wait for their lunch, a couple of loads of dishes, a floor and a counter that are forever covered with crumbs. It's a lot of work, honestly, but so much of what happens in the kitchen makes home really home for my family and helps to create Christmas memories for my children.
Now, back to my mom. My mom was a stay-at-home mom. She made our home especially homey and fun at Christmastime. She sewed and decorated Christmas stockings for us. As an elementary school kid, I remember making NICE presents for my teachers, not just my homeroom teachers, mind you. . .also my music teacher, my PE teacher, the librarian, the principal, and so on. We not only made Christmas cookies but countless ornaments of varying complexities--Make It and Bake It will always have a special place in my heart. (That's a whole 'nother blog.) My brother and I even designed Christmas cards for our family, and my parents had them printed at a real printer because it was long before the days of Kinko's and desktop publishing. My mom is also always in search of the perfect gift for each person in the family. She really goes all out to find just the right thing. And every present is beautifully wrapped with coordinating ribbon, ornaments on top of the packages and gift tags that always match the paper. My mom didn't do this to be like Martha Stewart or to impress anyone. My mom did (and does) this, I believe, because she loved us and she wanted to make Christmas special.
But mom's homemaking didn't stop with Christmas. We always had homecooked meals, which was rare among my peers even when I was in high school. Mom made sure that we ate a good breakfast before we went to school and packed our favorites (not lunchables, homemade stuff) for lunch every day. I don't know if I'll ever log as many hours in the kitchen as my mom has, but now more than ever before I value what she did for us. As I try to think of creative ways to get Brett and the kids to eat vegetables, I know that my mom made the kitchen the heart of our home because she loved us. What an example to follow! The bar is set high.
posted by
at 2:27 PM
2 Comments:
Loved the blog..."home" is indeed a special place...i'm actually reading this book right now that takes you through each room of the "house" and analyzes how certain rooms have certain myths and stories that add to the spirit of place...quite zen like..so it's a bid weird..but it's also nice to see such extraordinary ways of describing the memory of rooms...we take our positions in the house for granted. your blog warmed my heart this morning. thanks elise. :) you are a wonderful mom and wife..i am encouraged by your family.
By
Anonymous, at 9:04 AM
Well, it got me all teared up. I have been fighting memories like this of my mom for years now, just because they make me sad when I see her as she is now. She was a wonderful homemaker as well. I guess I will let the momories wash over me and have myself a good cry. Thanks Elise. I love ya.
By
Anonymous, at 1:37 PM
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