Chicken fat and Cheerios
It is 8:30 on a Monday morning, the kids have all left for school, and I am left cleaning the kitchen. It houses last night’s dishes, breakfast dishes ala 6, and the fixing of rushed lunches that should've been made the night before.
It is an overwhelming mountain to look at. So I put on GMA, pour another cup of coffee, and roll up the sleeves of my grungy car pool hoodie ( you know the one) not good enough for public viewing, but it will do for morning drop-off, and it is certainly worthy of this kitchen. Although I loathe dishes, these are some of my favorite mornings.
They make me think fondly of my own mom. When I was little, I wanted to be just like her, stay at home, take care of my kids, and tend to my house. She never wore a hoody this grungy if at all and looked more like the woman in this picture than the portrait of today’s modern "soccer mom," but I digress…
I sort dishes, hand wash vs. on deck for the dishwasher. (There seems always to be a line.) The sink is dirty and greasy as everything seems covered in chicken fat and Cheerios. Chicken fat skimmed off the broth made from my organic chicken, cooked to perfection in the slow cooker, served with salad and hot rolls, and eaten all together at the set table.... and Cheerios half eaten soaking in milk from the rushed breakfast this morning.
I laughed out loud, thinking, "Chicken fat and Cheerios, well, that sums up my life pretty well!" The Oxymoron that is me. The gourmet chef vs. the short-order cook.The nutrition hard nose vs. fast food driver. The contradictions are endless. The desire of my heart is to see my family eat healthy and unprocessed home-cooked meals every night, and I dream of having long, meaningful conversations with my well-mannered family in the dining room. The prettiest room in my home, yet the most unused unless you count housing old china that needs to be stored or Legos and school projects under construction.
The reality is that my busy family passes through the kitchen like it is a subway station, checking in and out, grabbing snacks, eating early, eating late, or not eating at all. I slice apples, open go-gurts, and pour cereal in an attempt to keep them energized and catch a few moments with them. Even cheerios at 10:30 pm? I'll take it!
Other than major holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter, my "chicken fat moments" happen only when the stars align… and we revel in them. We all laugh, smile, pass good food and talk simultaneously. My youngest child will always pray and thank God for the time spent with his family. Then there are the rest of the days when you oversleep, get stuck in traffic, or just have "busy-ness," so you settle for the "Cheerio moments" The Tween’s favorite night is "clean out the fridge night" Maybe once a week or more like once every two, (don't judge) upon learning this is happening, she literally pulls her elbow back with her hand in a fist declaring, "YES!!!"
I know she likes these nights because I am not busy for hours planning and cooking a big meal, everyone gets what they want and we all stand around the kitchen counter pickin' with our forks at this and that. No one officially prays or plans, but everyone is happy and together.
It makes me realize that it is not the feast or the planning that makes for my "chicken fat moments" but the people sharing the moment with me. That goes for the "Cheerio moments," too. I have learned to embrace them both. It would get old to have a big stuffy feast every night. We would not appreciate it. Likewise, no one wants to eat lonely cereal every night. There is balance. Something the Lord is working into my character these days.
As I ponder my nasty kitchen sink, full of chicken fat and Cheerios, I think about the good times in my kitchen, deep and rich, light-hearted and quick. Yep, just as it should be, balanced and abundant. When I used to dream of being like my mom, I feared it was too good to be true and sometimes wondered if It would ever come to be, if I would make a good stay-at-home mom, cooking and moping the floor. (That's what I thought she did...) I feel privileged and humbled to run this beautiful, busy family, wear my carpool hoodie proudly, clean this kitchen, and start another day in the life.
So raise your coffee cup at the sink, crystal goblet at your nicely set dining room table, or a Red Solo Cup on the front porch... "Here's to the chicken fat and Cheerios of your life and mine!" May they be many!"
I have come that you may have life and have it more abundantly.”
Gospel of John, chapter 10:10