My Dearest Momma:
The other day this question was asked of me, "if you could have anyone in the world, alive or dead, cook Thanksgiving dinner for you, who would it be?" My thoughts immediately filled with a pantry of famous cooks/chefs: Emeril, Gordon Ramsey, Martha Stewart, Nick Miller ;). What an experience that would be - a gourmet Thanksgiving dinner with all my favorite foods, which, of course, would be made without dairy or any other ingredient that would incite rebellion in my inner parts. These thoughts, however, lasted barely seconds as your beautiful face came into focus. While it may be true that the world at large would choose a turkey a'la Emeril rather than yours, they wouldn't know what they were missing.
Preparing a Thanksgiving Day feast is no mean feat, but there's an element that I've missed all these years - so obvious, I never noticed it; so assumed, so taken for granted that it never even touched my consciousness until now.
Why would I choose your Thanksgiving dinner over a world-renown chef's? Because after all these years, I finally know what motivated you to spend hours and hours preparing our annual feast. This could sound so trite, yet it's so far from that. You gave so much, Momma. You poured yourself into that meal. You laced every dish with your love. I didn't know that at the time. I thought cooking Thanksgiving dinner was part of your job description. It was just what you did. You did it with such grace that I never knew the mountainous task that it was, and that you infused every aspect of it with your love for us.
I can never express how grateful I am that I got to have you as my mom. There simply aren't words. All I know to do is to pass on to my own children and grandchildren, as best I can, the gifts you gave to me: unconditional love and acceptance and holiday meals that have been marinating all year long in a mother's heart.
With all my love,
Your Lolita
The other day this question was asked of me, "if you could have anyone in the world, alive or dead, cook Thanksgiving dinner for you, who would it be?" My thoughts immediately filled with a pantry of famous cooks/chefs: Emeril, Gordon Ramsey, Martha Stewart, Nick Miller ;). What an experience that would be - a gourmet Thanksgiving dinner with all my favorite foods, which, of course, would be made without dairy or any other ingredient that would incite rebellion in my inner parts. These thoughts, however, lasted barely seconds as your beautiful face came into focus. While it may be true that the world at large would choose a turkey a'la Emeril rather than yours, they wouldn't know what they were missing.
Preparing a Thanksgiving Day feast is no mean feat, but there's an element that I've missed all these years - so obvious, I never noticed it; so assumed, so taken for granted that it never even touched my consciousness until now.
Why would I choose your Thanksgiving dinner over a world-renown chef's? Because after all these years, I finally know what motivated you to spend hours and hours preparing our annual feast. This could sound so trite, yet it's so far from that. You gave so much, Momma. You poured yourself into that meal. You laced every dish with your love. I didn't know that at the time. I thought cooking Thanksgiving dinner was part of your job description. It was just what you did. You did it with such grace that I never knew the mountainous task that it was, and that you infused every aspect of it with your love for us.
I can never express how grateful I am that I got to have you as my mom. There simply aren't words. All I know to do is to pass on to my own children and grandchildren, as best I can, the gifts you gave to me: unconditional love and acceptance and holiday meals that have been marinating all year long in a mother's heart.
With all my love,
Your Lolita
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