Drudgery Turns to Contentment When it Comes from a Place of Love

I used to hate doing dishes and cooking.  I am female but I thought my nesting gene was missing.  I couldn't wrap my mind around why other people enjoyed domestic endeavors, but then I thought, do we enjoy what we were taught to love and what we were praised for doing as children?

My mom considered cooking and household chores drudgery.  I can't remember one example of when she was smiling while she was cooking.  She was overwhelmed with commitments so cooking was a necessary evil.  I honestly believed that no one really enjoyed cooking, until I met someone that did.  

My friend Robin had an overwhelming life and she loved cooking.  That's when the dichotomy of ones' perception of a situation vs. someone's reality became apparent to me.  Hmmmm........Robin was overwhelmed in her home situation, but praised for her cooking, so she enjoyed it despite the overwhelm.  It was her anchor, her solace, her happy place.  

As my daughter became old enough to cook, she started creating great kitchen memories for our family: helping make dinner; making omelets for us even though she doesn't like eggs; baking two dozen cookies for each of her six teachers; cooking dinner for friends and enjoying the successes as well as the mistakes.  All of her kitchen experiences included love and joy.  That's the way to live.  Hey, the student becomes the teacher, living it here...........

Now, I realize life is always a lesson.  Cooking is only drudgery if there is no love or joy attached.  Anything in life can be drudgery without hope, happiness or love attached.  Some things I will always dislike: bugs, grapefruit, freezing during Midwest winters.........but most circumstances can go from drudgery to contentment with the injection of love.

Love and praise cost us nothing.  They can make our lives go from being intolerable (or only tolerable) to enjoyable and fun.  Give more love and praise, make the world a better place.  We all deserve to be happy, we all deserve to be praised.  So now I actually enjoy cooking.  I have my limits, I will never be considered a gourmet cook, but it's fun, a loving contribution to our family.  And I like to receive compliments, even if it's only for the best grilled cheese my son has ever tasted.

Have a wonderful day.  

Xo

Conni

Today's Mantra:  I choose to find a way to add joy to my obligations

Mantra for Every Day: I choose to send love to all; receiving love back multiplied in infinite proportions, creating and nurturing pathways of love.