2 Years

Today marks the two year anniversary of my Father's death, and I've spent a lot of time reflecting on imprint that he has left on my life. I feel like I am so lucky that I get to bring so much of him to life in my daily actions and interests and I feel that most strongly when I am cooking and (occasionally) baking. The first thing I ever made was bread when I was 3, standing on a stool in our kitchen while my father carefully measured every ingredient and let me do all the dirty work of mixing. While I certainly don't like measuring nearly as much, I still do all the dirty work and am at my most authentically actualized self moving through the kitchen, chopping, mixing, kneading, sautéing and roasting. A carefully conducted one chef orchestra. I feel him standing over me, telling me to keep my fingers curled while chopping, insisting that my knife be wickedly sharp at all times. I hear him musing on the need for more butter in all things and always agree. He was always my sous chef, dutifully chopping - always perfectly of course - while we chatted about an endless stream of topics. Seamlessly flowing from history, music, art, science, politics, religion, literature etc... I feel so lucky that of all the things I got from my father his brain and love of knowledge is my favorite. He was not only a sponge for all information but also an air tight steel trap, never loosing a single drop of wisdom. Easily recalling with incredible detail and accuracy things he wrote, read of even just glanced at from 70+ years ago. Like my father I recall just about everything from the time I'm about 2, but he was even better than I am, though he had more practice at 84 than I do now.

Yesterday I had a Tolkien Feast. A full marathon of food and all three extended addition movies. It was a perfect day and a wonderful way to honor and treasure my friends and focus on such a positive and comforting environment. I couldn't have had a more wonderful day and am so deeply grateful to all the people that I have wrapped up into my chosen fellowship, you will never know what it means to me to be so completely surrounded by the most beautiful and wonderful people. I never imagined that I could be so lucky.