Despite the fact InChul and I don’t really eat bread much (we’re Koreans, and our staple carb is rice), it seemed most appropriate for me to bake a loaf on this particular day.  The smell of the yeast permeates the apartment.  I know from baking bread in the past that this is a smell that will linger within the confines of our home for the next couple of days, reminding me of this act of domesticity.

Makes me feel like a real Julia Child (which is fitting, considering I used her bread recipe – via Food.com – for today’s baking).  I measured out the ingredients.  I allowed my KitchenAid stand mixer to do most of the dough kneading, but made sure I also spent a few moments after the machine did its part to get my hands into the dough and truly feel the significance of this act of producing this bread.  Now, as I sit here typing, I wait patiently for the dough to rise a second time (already had the pleasure of the punching down and placing into the bread pan) before the magic of the baking process turns dough to something that has the ability to sustain life for a short period of time.

Life flows from the one who is able to put these few simple ingredients together and patiently waits to let the miracles of a process that has been passed down from generation to generation of individuals – individuals who believe it is their purpose to feed and sustain life among those who live under their roof and within their walls.  And usually, this individual goes by a name that binds those who receive said sustenance to them forever.

Whether you are a mother who bakes bread, cooks rice, boils noodles/pasta, or any other number of such domestic acts, may the metaphorical “scent” of your love and devotion to those in your home continue to linger.  Let that scent be a reminder of just how amazing you are…and how wonderful it is to know that there is no one else who can ever take your place in the lives of your children.