Old things lead to something new

Christmas is so laden with memories, traditions, and should be's that it is often difficult to reflect in a meaningful way or see clearly on that o holiest of nights, but it was on Christmas that I realized the charge that a certain object had for me. It became clear to me that this charge had to be channelled, and through this blog perhaps my own little bit of peace on earth will be born.

As my mother in law commandeered duties at my kitchen sink around 11:00 am on Christmas morning getting up to wash each individual item placed in the sink over the course of 9 hours and a couple of meals, (prepping and serving at least a dozen different items for eight people throughout the day) I struggled to understand why I was not feeling a great sense of gratitude. While my husband and I prepared the most divine brussel sprout and cranberry dish, cooked a wonderful turkey and succeeded at my first attempt at cornbread stuffing, I cringed as I placed each utensil or dirty pan into my kitchen sink. Over the past nineteen years of studying her as a primary document and deepening my understanding of her through secondary sources, namely her son- I have formed my own thesis to explain her incessent cleaning and her enthusiasm to wash my dishes. But as I prepped a wonderful meal and played hostess to our family, I vowed to figure out why the actions around my kitchen sink were so jarring.

My mother in law's refusal to use my eco-friendly dish soap (choosing only to use the dish soap that she brought even when she had to keep filling it with water to make it usable), her comments about my uncomfortable couch and her declaration to my 4 month pregnant sister in law that she looked like she was going to have twins have provided us with some good laughs over the past few days. But the space of a few days and deeper reflection on the sinks of kitchens' past seem to clarify why the kitchen sink is the epicenter of my ideas of class, gender roles and power. Perhaps the space of this blog will allow me to wade through the murky waters.