Our Slow Cooked Life

There was a time when I was pregnant with Rose that I couldn’t open the refrigerator without wanting to vomit.

That time lasted my entire first trimester. This was also the time Vitaliy started to cook more. I am now thankful for that time because Vitaliy is one talented cook. I believe it’s the artist in him. And since I love to eat, I have been encouraging him to hone his new craft. One meal at a time. At some point, Vitaliy realized one of the keys to his success in the kitchen was cooking things slowly. Then we started to learn this same technique works in life too. We now refer to it as our “slow cooked life.”

Over the past few years, our life began to change. We started to downsize. And I don’t just mean stuff. We began to declutter the busyness of our lives. We learned the art of saying no (which is still hard for me) and began feeling more and more comfortable not always being on the go. We didn’t plan it this way, but I think this helped us adapt to becoming parents and having our social calendar become more limited.

But living a slow cooked life isn’t easy. In business, you’re convinced you have to do more or you’re not going to bring in new clients. With friends, you feel like you have to say yes or people may stop inviting you. At church, you often feel like you’re not doing enough if you have only one commitment. And the list can go on. But the theme is the same, you’re not moving or growing fast enough. You’re not doing enough.

One of the things that has become a family ritual for us is a slow cooked breakfast each morning. This now usually takes place during Rose’s morning nap. I often find myself questioning it. We need to start our work day earlier. We’re not putting in enough hours. Our day is off to a slow start. I open my Instagram and see what everyone else has accomplished by the time I’m just sitting down to eat (and I’m still in my pajamas).

And some of those statements might be true. But this is sacred time. Or it has become sacred time over the years. Vitaliy and I have had some of our most honest and vulnerable talks over hot oatmeal and coffee in the morning. Sometimes it’s filled with Jimmy Fallon and hearty laughter. Other times we listen to a sermon and feed our souls. We cry. And we pray. And we assess. In the busy, when do you assess?

Let me repeat, a slow cooked life isn’t easy. Likely because of the slow aspect. Nobody wants to wait – I don’t. But I’ve tasted Vitaliy’s slow-cooked meals and there’s nothing better. You can’t rush a good thing. And life is good.