planning holiday meals

What are we having for Easter dinner?

Celebrating Easter yesterday has reminded me of a pattern that my sisterʼs and I would experience with my dad when it came time for holidays.... Weeks and weeks before any holiday, my dad would start talking about the menu... When he was healthy, he would generously contribute to the menu, shopping and even do some of the food preparation! As he aged, he was obviously less able to help in such tangible ways, so the question of, “What were WE going to make for Easter?” really meant, what were my sisterʼs and I going to make for Easter.....Problem is, for us, weeks away meant we didnʼt necessarily want to think about it quite yet! We all were barely able to take a deep breath as we go thought life before the next commitment, going from event to event and barely keeping up with the next thing on the TO DO list and he was wondering/worrying about the holiday meal! We would tease with him about it -- “Dad, if you donʼt have the Easter food to worry about, what will you come up with to worry about?” Itʼs not that we didnʼt appreciate him or his input...We adored him and his ideas! But he really truly didnʼt have as much responsibility at his older age which is great and appropriate. But, as for the rest of us, we are usually

getting by, day by day! So when he is talking about what to serve for the holiday in question which is weeks away, I am thinking, what I am going to serve for dinner tonight....or even more urgent “how I am going to pick up 2 different kids at 2 different locations this afternoon at the same time”..

Question of the week: What can you take OFF your plate this week so that you can serve your parent well?

But, of course, now, I miss him so much and would love to talk about an upcoming menu anytime! Point for each of us: Slow down! A theme that I keep bringing up? Yes.... Why? because we need to.... How can we serve well, when we are too full or on autopilot.....