I can cook...or rather, get someone to cook for me!

I have been thinking about my "home alone" time away from home, somewhere up in the hills, and for the first time in all these years, my dear son lets me go (atleast in his thoughts for now, until it actually happens ) without a whine or a tear and says "yeah, ok....but who will cook for me? Appa doesn't know how to cook.." I smiled, nodded and let it all brew for a while without trying to 'sort it out' for him. That was many days ago.

This morning, father and son have a long conversation about it on their own during a drive in the car, and then my dear son comes up to me later and says: " Amma, you can even go next week if you want! I am ok....maybe you can write down a few recipes for appa to follow...actually I know how to make a few things like cheese toast and chappathi frankie, and I have my Tarla Dalal book...I cannot make those on my own, but I can tell him how to make them for me....I know the ingredients and the method."

My heart melted. I do want to go away and be with myself so much.....but just these words from my son, makes me feel like I have gone away and come back. They set me free. And I am sure they set him free too.

And who says one HAS to learn how to cook and make a meal for oneself? Who says that it is an important life skill to teach or learn? There are so many ways to deal with challenges like these. Cooking for oneself is just one of the ways. There are many other ways. Why get stuck with one?