The Dishwashing Talk
Ann Litts, I LOVE washing dishes! It’s one of my favorite spiritual practices. We once lived in an apartment for 3 years that had an automatic dish-washing machine and I never once used it. Why would I deprive myself of the incredible pleasure of hand-washing dishes?
One of the only people who have ever appreciated my cooking is my wonderful daughter. Cooking for her every day for eighteen years brought me so much joy. What brought me even more joy was when she became a wife and then a mother and she would call me up and ask me cooking questions. Dad, can you give me your secret recipe for your magic potato salad? Dad, I’ve got a can of tomato sauce that expired two days ago. Is it still good? Dad, can I have your secret egg roll recipe? Dad, how did you make your fantastic green chile con queso? Dad, my rice doesn’t come out like yours did. What am I doing wrong? Dad, how did you make that home-made salad dressing you used to make? Dad, how do I make my daughters like broccoli?
I don’t think she has any idea how truly happy she made me every time she asked me a cooking question. She doesn’t ask me many questions anymore. She has become the master of her own kitchen domain. I think she may be becoming a better mother than I ever was. Somehow, mysteriously, my love for cooking got passed on to her. This makes me just want to cry with joy. Gosh, I sure love her!
Curiously, however, while she has developed a passion and joy for cooking, she ABSOLUTELY hates washing dishes! Somehow, that did not get passed on. Maybe it’s because I never once made her wash dishes during her childhood. Maybe it’s because I never sat her down and had the “dishwashing talk.” I really don’t know the reason for this.
What I do know is that while her home might be just a little bit messy, her kitchen is downright spotless — just like mine was when she was growing up. This freaks me out a tiny bit. And recently I learned that she has trained her two fantastic daughters on how to load the dishwasher. And what freaked me out even more is that my two delightful granddaughters actually enjoy doing it.
Times have changed. But I still wonder if someday I might not sit my two glorious granddaughters down and give them the “dishwashing talk.” I’m kind of afraid to do that, though, because they both really love me right now and I don’t want to ruin that.
