Monday, March 12, 2012

Sunday Dinner

For many MANY years, I have been an "Anti-Sunday Dinner" woman. That's not to say I don't like to eat dinner on Sunday, but that I don't enjoy preparing a big dinner on Sundays. I think my feelings began in the early years in Texas. My mom prepared the easiest meal possible on Sunday's because our Church attendance required a lot of travel time and simple was good. Broiled Hamburgers were what we mostly had, I believe.

When I got married and started having children, Church attendance was nearby--minimal travel when you live in Utah! However, the exhaustion factor was HUGE. Kids and callings just plain wear me out. Fixing a meal was the last thing on my mind. A nap, or nursing a baby, or tending to crabby, worn-out kids was really the top priority. Mostly the nap. Sunday's not really a day of rest for any active Mormons. It's a day of rest from other worldly activities, but it's hardly restful in the worldly sense of the word.

But, I'm in a new phase of my life now. I enjoy preparing a meal (most of the time, at least) for my semi-extended family on Sundays. It's just Me, Mike, and Eric at home, but on Sunday's we invite Mike's mom and Gail's family over. Sometimes an extra friend will join in. And I truly don't mind preparing a nice meal. (Well, they are nice by my standards.) The difference is the rest factor. It doesn't really matter what my calling happens to be, I don't have to deal with babies, etc. at home. I can just have "me" time before or after Church. I can use the time for lesson preparation and/or food preparation and it seems like most days I even have time for a bit of rest!! What a marvel. Whether we have the 1 pm church or the 9 am church (with Choir practice at 7:45 AM, for goodness sake!!), there is time. It's a miracle. It's just proof positive that all those exhausting child-bearing-raising years were worth it, gals. Yes, it's hard. Yes, you get tired. But, YES!! It does come to an end!! And, yes, it was worth it. Even if we did just have leftovers, or pancakes, or peanut butter sandwiches and popcorn for Sunday Dinner . We survived.
Love,
MommaLinda

2 comments:

Donna said...

Now I know I'm a slug! I HATE to cook at any point!! (although made enchilada’s last night!) My MIL and BIL love to putter in the kitchen - me? No, thanks!

Suzanne said...

We have the same thing every single Sunday...frozen pizza. And it's purely for the break of not having to think about what to make or actually make something. Kirk and I got sick of it and have taken up having a frozen pasta dish of some sort. But the key is its FROZEN. And I don't have to THINK. :)