Last week I was feeling melancholy for the second day in a row, not sure why, just knowing that everything was good in my life and there was no glaring reason for these feelings. I was praying and asking for the feelings to be lifted and was not having any luck. It was approaching lunch time and I was in the bathroom and yelled down to my son, Michael, in the kitchen: "what would you like me to make you for lunch?" He answered, "I have a surprise for you, but it's not ready yet." In the kitchen I could hear pots banging, the clinking of utensils, and savory smells. The chatter in my mind was saying things like, "I hope the kitchen isn't getting too messy," "I hope he isn't making something too fattening." As I walked into the kitchen after having these thoughts my son looked at my face and his expression changed from excitement to a frown. Taking in the pots on the stove and all the work my son had done to surprise me with a home cooked meal, I quickly changed the doubtful expression on my face to a smile, hugged my son, and expressed my gratitude for all that he had done. Michael's face lit up as we went to the stove to finish the meal.

At this point I had made a shift. My heart was wide open, the melancholy I was feeling for two days had lifted, and I wanted to express my gratitude to my son for the gift he had given me. I went into cooking instructor mode, and together Michael and I picked fresh herbs for the tomato sauce he was making and I taught him to save some of the pasta water to add to the pasta when it was done cooking ( the starch from the pasta water helps the sauce adhere to the pasta). We were a team, Michael and I working together to create a meal filled with our love for each other. Just so you know, Michael would not let me wash the dishes, yet another gift from my thirteen year old son.