My sister got sick ten years ago. My dad's health has been rapidly declining the past month and a half. My mind has been heavy with worry lately. But today, my family had a cooking competition and it was one of the best days we've had in quite awhile.
My mother is the matriarch. I am second-in-command. My niece, my sister and my daughter are the ones we take care of. Well, my dad now too, but it was just us girls today.
I don't know what it is about my gender and choosing food. Why is deciding on what to eat for women harder than calculating nuclear physics equations? I swear.
So, every week my mom and I get together to plan the weekend meals. It's a rough time. But she suggested a wing competition, each person makes their own flavor. Best flavor wins the prize, and more importantly-- them bragging rights.
She is brilliant this woman. We've been wanting to get my niece and my sister more involved with the cooking and cleaning; everything tends to fall on us. This was just what we needed. Our family is so competitive, so this really made what is normally a chore--fun. The end result was incredible because...food. There is always laughter echoing in her house but it was especially fruitful and multiplying today.
I should've lost my sister ten years ago. I'm on the verge of losing my dad. Lord knows who else's name he plans to call home this year. If you are reading this, take a minute, send a text to someone you haven't spoken to in a while. Make plans to get together. Share some laughs. You really may not get a chance to see them again. Does that freak you out as much as it does me? It should. Don't worry though, if you are texting someone that is worth it, there is no way you can ever regret it.
These are my random thoughts for today.