When I was a little girl, dinner time was my absolute favorite. Our home clattered with laughter and music. Pots and pans clinked around loudly. And you’d really clear your sinuses with all of the spices in the air.
When I was a little girl, I remember eating a lot of authentic Mexican food. Except I didn’t think of it as Mexican food. It was just what we made at home. We lived off of tacos with rice and beans. Arroz Con Leche, pan dulce, and tamales around Christmas time.
When I was a little girl, I asked my mom for our family recipes. I knew one day I’d want to teach my own children how to make all the delicious foods I grew up on. I wanted to share with them a piece of my home no matter where we lived.
When I was a little girl, I used to put Selena on loud and dance like I was her. I would throw on my jean jacket and twirl around. My mom would laugh and tell me I was doing it wrong. Then she’d get up and show me how it’s done. She loved to dance.
When I was a little girl, I would get up early with my mom and while she drank her coffee, we’d eat all the sweet bread before the house woke up for the day. We would talk about how she didn’t want us to get older and move away.
Now that I’m older, dinner time is my absolute favorite. The kids are running around wildly. Their laughter fills the air while I mix together this and a little bit of that. We all gather around the table and talk about our day. It makes my heart happy.
Now that I’m older, I get to introduce my children to authentic Mexican food. Except that’s not what we call it. It’s just what Grandma Rachel used to cook and sometimes I cry when I make it. But they’re not always sad tears.
Now that I’m older, I teach my daughter my family’s recipes. And we laugh about not having exact measurements because my mom would say cooking comes from the heart. So we season to taste and hope it comes out right.
Now that I’m older, I still blast Selena and dance like my mom used to, and I pretend I’m with her. And my daughter twirls around trying to understand what the words to the songs are because a lot of them are in Spanish. It’s the best!
Now that I’m older, I wake up early with my kids and while I drink my coffee, we make breakfast together. We talk about how much I love them and how I never want them to grow up or move away. And I think about when I was a little girl.
Have you ever experienced moments like this where it feels like life has truly come full circle? They are so absolutely beautiful and incredibly special!