Chop, Chop, Put it in the Pot

As I set six huge apples out on the table with an array of knives, peelers and cutting boards, Kimberly skipped into the kitchen and asked, "Are you making applesauce? Please, please wait to make it until I finish my violin practice!"

"Sure can." I replied. My heart was happy.

An hour later we all gathered around the table. Kimberly and I peeled while Lindsay chopped and put the pieces of apple in the pot.  Conversation flowed. I think a few more of Lindsay's chunks made it in the pot than landed in her mouth, but I wasn't keeping track. In went the lemon juice, cinnamon, salt, and water. Then onto the stove went the pot, and off to play went the girls. And to the dishes went I. With my hands up to the elbows in soap suds, I had a thankful heart; there was more in that pot than apples and cinnamon. 

There was a memory made in that pot, a time when we could share a common task that benefited everyone come dinnertime.  

There was laughter in that pot, silly jokes cracked around the table, apple slices on the floor, the kind of happiness that bubbles up inside when you are present in the moment.

There were lessons learned in that pot. How to hold a peeler, how to core an apple, how to share a cutting board, and how to work together.

There was a family tradition in that pot.  We've done this before, listening to a Boxcar Children book on tape all the while. It was a memory that prompted Kim to ask for a repeat.

There was love in that pot, a time and place where we could come together around a pot of chopped apples and let the world slide by as we enjoyed one another's company.

As we tasted the product of our labors around the dinner table, commenting on the sweetness and the chunkiness of the applesauce, I realized what an integral part of life family traditions are.  We have a few special things we do at certain times of the year, like green milk in the milk carton every April 1st, or funny face pancakes on birthday mornings, or short sheets on the bed.  Now applesauce making has joined the list, and what I love about these moments is that they are simple, harmless, and bring pure joy to my heart and the hearts of my children. That's the type of love that grounds us and pulls us together as a family. It will get us through the tough days, when all is not fun and games, but struggles and conflict. I need these moments.