Observation

Last night, while the lad made dinner, I made some more butter. I have it down to about 20 minutes from start to finish now.

I was about 6 minutes into the jar shaking routine before the lad actually noticed that I was shaking a jar with something in it. “What are you doing?” he asked.

“Making butter,” I said.

“Why?” he asked.

“Because it’s easy, fun, and it tastes better than store bought,” I said.

He raised his eyebrows. Not at all sold on the idea.

When I’d finished making the butter. lightly salted, and packaged in a small container, I asked him to try it.

“No, that’s okay,” he said.

“No, really. Try it. I insist.” I said.

He tentatively reached out a finger, as if it might get bitten off, and took a little glob of butter. He tasted it. His eyebrows shot almost off his face.

“This is really good,” he said, taking another glob on the end of his finger. “Really good.”

“Why were you so afraid to try it?” I asked.

“I guess because I think store bought is better,” he said. “That jar looked really gross. And, I guess, I’ve never heard of anyone making butter before. It’s always in the fridge in sticks.”

“I’ve failed you as a mother,” I said.

Well, we both laughed, but the truth was in there someplace. My son has absorbed a cultural message that store bought is better than home made. At least for some things. It really bothered me that he was reluctant to try something home made...as if it might poison him. And yet, homemade breads and pastries are fine. And mom’s home cooking is really fine. But something a little outside the norm and comfort zone? People really do get stuck in a narrow range of thinking. Home made is not inferior. How did that idea become so normal?