Coming Home Again

Coming Home Again, by Chang-rae Lee, was about the importance of the food preparation in a Korean family‘s life. This story was about a young boy who loved to spend time in the kitchen with his mother. Many of their memories were made in their kitchen. The little boy would rather spend time watching and helping his mother cook rather than going out and playing like children his age normally would. The food also helped the little boy and his mother reunite after he came back from boarding school. The two of them had a hard time communicating, so his mother would make him his favorite meal to help break the ice. Food was a way that this family shared and showed their love for each other.
The little boy was sent off to boarding school for about ten years before he came home for good. He decided to come to stay once he found out that his mother was very sick. His mother had Cancer. He decided to put all his years of observation in the kitchen to use and started cooking for his family. He had high hopes that his mother would like his cooking, but it was difficult since she wasn’t able to eat. Like many great chef’s, when his mother passed away all her recipes were gone too. Some of the greatest cooks only made mental notes of how to prepare their meals, they never made it to paper. The little boy decided to stay home for good and continue cooking for his family to honor his mother’s memory.
This was a touching story. I think that it is so sad that many traditions are nonexistent anymore these days. My mother and father would tell us stories of their big family meals and how breaking the bread with your close family and friends is all about. I was brought up in a similar setting. I hope that I can carry the tradition onto my family so they know what the best memories are really all about. I really enjoyed reading this story.