Week 97: Where We’ve Been and Where We’re Going
While never losing sight of where we are…
Each Sunday, my wife and I cook and eat a meal together — intentionally. Every Friday, I’ll be sharing our experience here in this space. I want to see the growth that will come in our marriage because of this. I hope you enjoy our story. You can find last week’s post here.
I’m constantly aware of a phenomenon that seems unique to being in your 20s. Maybe it stays around your whole life — I don’t know. I’m in my 20s, so maybe it’s just that it’s readily apparent to me.
It’s the tendancy to focus on the future.
Some people might call it dreaming. Others might call it planning. But I find myself constantly considering my future self and my future life. That’s fine, and small doses of it are surely necessary. But too much of that thinking can sometimes be a problem, I think.
It’s when I find myself in that place that experiences like the one Sarah and I had on this particular Sunday are so needed. We had friends coming over, and we needed a meal to prepare. I know that on Cooking With Sarah, we try to create new recipes every week. The point behind that is to constantly be trying new experiences together. But sometimes, every once in a while, it’s good to take a look back at the greatest hits — those moments from the past that stand out for their joy and splendor.
We have so many recipes that could fit that description, but two of our favorites are surely Lemon Poppyseed Chicken and Strawberry Dump Cake. So we made those together. We reveled together in the good memories that accompanied the smells of food in our kitchen. We paused to share recollections of the past. Then we shared that food and warmth with our friends later that day. It was a splendid moment of reconnecting.
That’s why looking back on past successes or periods of growth can be so important. You can see how far you’ve come, and you can give yourself an extra dose of credit for making it this far. But sometimes the past doesn’t have such warm memories. Looking back can be hard sometimes too. And so we move forward, looking to the future once again.
Moving forward is necessary. It’s a good thing. But, in my life, there have been many times where moving forward has been impossible without taking a moment to look back. It also is impossible without a different posture.
Taking stock of where you are.
As I sat around that table with my wife and our dear friends, I experienced a joyous moment of lucidity. Those moments — sharing the simple with those you love — are to be cherished. It is exactly those kinds of moments that embolden us to move forward.
Cooking With Sarah has been such a beautiful combination of all of that for Sarah and me. This publication allows us to go back and look at all the wonderful memories we’ve created together. Each week is an invitation for us to be present with each other as husband and wife. And we are always moving forward looking to try new things together.
That’s life.
It seems that each one of us has to find the right mixture between past, present and future. My prayer for you this week is that you find it and you have joy in it. Blessings, my friends. See you next week. :)
