In the Kitchen

The kitchen is a magical place. You store, create, and eat food. But to me the kitchen was a sacred place. A sanctuary.

Coming home from school was always a joy. Being home from school was only a small part of the delight I felt. Everyday I would sit on the stool closest to the stairs. Twisting and revolving back and forth, I would relive my school day for my mom. Telling her who I talked to, catch her up on the latest gossip, all about my teachers and even what I learned. It was a daily routine that I never found odd.

I always found my mom in the kitchen. Whether I was coming home at 3:26 or 2:49. There she was scrubbing away in the sink. It made it easier to talk to her. Being in ‘no man’s land’. I recently found out that the kitchen was something my mom’s mom would do. My grandma’s words of wisdom were: “Always be in the kitchen when your kids get home from school. They will always know where to find you. It will make it easier for them to open up because you are in a safe place.”

The kitchen is a tradition I hope to carry on to my children. I want to create a sanctuary they way my mom created one for me.