Jen and I, before embarking on the uncharted waters of motherhood.
As most of you know, since my mother-in-law’s death I’ve been on a mission to find ways to keep the memory of Sue alive for my baby girl. That desire, in turn, sparked a passion to help other families in the same situation.
Unfortunately, I have many close friends mourning the loss of a parent, right at the time when we’re figuring out how to be parents ourselves. The idea that our little ones won’t know those special people—people who would’ve been such integral parts of their lives, our lives—is simply unfathomable.
That’s why I was intrigued when my friend Jen told me about her continued connection to her mother through food, particularly the native Colombian dish, arroz con pollo. I asked her to write about it, so I could share it with all of you. The result is this beautiful guest post.
Thank you, Jen, for your support, understanding, inspiration, and willingness to share. You, like your mother, make this world a better place. I’m so glad I know you, and through you, her.
Without further ado …
FROM JEN:
Nothing brings back memories of my mom better than food. It’s been nine years since she passed away, and I can still taste her arroz con pollo.
As early as I can remember, I loved spending time with my mom in the kitchen.
She taught me how to make patacones, papas choriadas, pan de yuca, arepas, ajiaco, and on one ambitious day, empanadas. We would sing along to Colombian music playing from the family room. Yo me llamo cumbia, yo soy la reina por donde voy… Or of course, to Julio Iglesias.
She would tell funny stories of learning to cook in the early days of her marriage to my dad, an American. Here’s one of my favorites:
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Tags: arroz con pollo, chicken and rice, guest post, hashweh, ideas, in memory, inspiration, jennifer pasinosky, legacy, memorial, mourning, new traditions, recipe, recommendations, remembering, traditions, try something new
