Food, Family, Fun!

The sound of children, laughing and playing, can be heard on a beautiful summer's day. A group of adults sit around a table on the deck, drinking, smoking, and playing cards. Occasionally heard is someone shouting, "You're cheating," "Bullshit," or maybe something even more vulgar if they are losing significantly enough. The smell of the grill permeates the air with the tantalizing aromas of highly anticipated food. This is the scene of a traditional summer cookout at my mom's house; which takes place almost every weekend from the middle of June through to the end of August.

All of the "traditional" foods would be present during one of my mom's cookouts. Always up for grabs would be hotdogs, cheeseburgers, chicken breast, and maybe even some steak. Side items would include potato salad, chips with dip, baked beans, corn on the cob, and deviled eggs. Dessert would usually include a choice of watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberry shortcake, and ice cream. Once everyone grabs a plate of food they try to find a place to sit. There is never enough chairs for everyone, so the children eat out on the lawn, in a picnic style meal. Over dinner we enjoy the time "shooting the shit," just talking, laughing, and enjoying our time together.

The center of my family's traditional summer get together is food. As my mom says, "if you feed them, they will come." When I think of a tradition that relates to food in my family, the cookouts always come to mind first. Though my family celebrates Thanksgiving, Christmas, and even New Years, those do not come to my mind when I think of a traditional family gathering. Our family cookout is what it means to go home. I feel a deep sense of peace during this time. Summer is upon us once again; I will be going home.