| Guest Post by Brad Cathey |
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat… Matthew 25:35
I didn’t have a choice. My mother produced four sons and wasn’t going to let gender get in the way of us being domesticated. So she taught us all how to do the basics: laundry, ironing, mending, cleaning, and most importantly, cooking. One of the things I took to college was a box of my favorite recipes, which got me through those early days in my first apartment.
Fast forward to marriage. It didn’t take me long to realize that the woman I had married was not a cook (buyer beware: I never actually saw her cook anything before we were married). To her credit she tried, but it eventually got to the point where no one was happy, so I finally volunteered to take over. I had always cooked for guests, but now it was going to be every night. Now the entire family was relieved—it’s always better to have somebody doing something who really wants to do it. So dad became the cook.
We got into a routine: I planned the menus, my wife shopped, and the kids did the dishes—with much the same attitude I had growing up. And I have to admit, I haven’t always looked forward to coming home from the office and tying on an apron. But it gets me out of the office and back home sooner—the family is hungry!
Here are a few advantages of being Chef Dad:
• it gives my wife an out from something she dislikes
• it shows her I care, and believe me, she’s deeply appreciative (her friends are jealous)
• I can serve and care for my family in a present and visible way
• I’m contributing to the day-to-day business of the household
• it gives me a break from my day job, and I’m learning something useful in the process
• it can be a creative outlet, even therapeutic
• I love to see the expression on people’s faces when they find out I do all the cooking
Is Chef Dad for everyone? Well, the cooking may not be, but if it’s not that, ask yourself what can you do around your house besides bringing home the bacon…maybe you should be cooking it as well.
Gotta run, dinner is ready.
Where best can I serve my family?