The Waiting is the Hardest Part. . . .

But, it is so worth it.

I am reminded daily of our society’s obsession with instant gratification.  We want it all, and we want it NOW.  Fast food, smart phones, digital cameras, pizza delivery. . . you name it, we are obsessed.  I admit, I fall into the trap at times, too.  It is far easier to open a can of soup than go through the steps to make stock from scratch, cut up vegetables, shred chicken and wait for it to simmer until the flavors marry and create perfection.  Why knit a pair of socks when you can buy a pack of 6 at the local big-box store for far less than the price of a hank of yarn?

Last week, while working with a classroom of fourth graders, I shared an old photo album from my “big” trip across the US.  The last few pages of the album held sleeves of negatives from the trip.  The first student to see the album curiously asked, “What are these?”  It took me a minute to realize that most children would have no idea what negatives were.  I explained to the kids that until a few years ago, most people didn’t have digital cameras with the ability to instantly view their pictures.  (I didn’t even bother trying to explain a Polaroid.)  I continued by telling them that not only was I unable to view the pictures until weeks after my trip, but I was limited to the number of pictures I was able to take due to the cost of film and processing fees.  At that moment I felt ancient in their eyes.  But it really made me think about what our children’s expectations are when it comes to gratification.

I was pulled back to one of my favorite books—my other “bible”—Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver.  In this book, she challenges her family to eat seasonally and locally for one year—returning to their roots, the land, and the call of the seasons to nourish their body and spirit.  One chapter in the book speaks specifically to the idea of our society being obsessed with instant gratification.  She points out that we often choose convenience over quality.  We want “it” now, even if the experience is not as good.  Hmmm. . . When I read this the first time, it spoke volumes to me.  What message am I sending my children by giving in to convenience all the time?  This is when a shift began for me.

We began eating more seasonal and local foods about 3 years ago.  We savor each bite of spring strawberries because we know they are brief visitors to our menu.  The Reporter knows that strawberry season starts around her birthday and ends a few weeks later.  She has learned to ask what fruits and veggies are in season and which ones have to travel on a plane or boat to get here.  She has also learned that when our favorite items are in season, there is lots of work to be done in the kitchen preserving what we can to enjoy later.  We don’t do this to be frugal (although when we grow our own, it does save money!), but to remember that everything has a season and time.

Some things are just worth waiting for. 

Friday night is typically our Family Pizza-Movie night, but with strawberry season drawing to a close, we engaged in a bit of “waiting”. . .

We gathered the necessary equipment. . .

Enjoyed a delicious homemade pizza covered in seasonally fresh veggies, thanks to our CSA

Jars were prepared. . .

Fruit, again from our CSA, was rinsed and prepped. . .

and then we worked. . . and waited. . .

18 jars later, we sat back to admire our work. . .

Worth the wait?  I think so. . .