I’m a big fan of changing seasons. If my husband could have his way, we’d live somewhere with perfect temperature all year long- but I enjoy having the change! I love the beautiful colors of springtime, the warm, play days of summer, the changing colors and crisp air of autumn, and the coziness and regal beauty of snow in the winter. There is definitely a delight to having each season in its proper time.

Similarly, we go through seasons in our own lives. As a mother of 4 young children aged 7, 5, 3, and 1 and also currently 24 weeks pregnant with our 5th little one, the time I spend in the kitchen looks much different than it did when I was first married. And while some days I feel bad that I’m serving frozen Costco pasta for dinner instead of making homemade bread and soup- I know that I’m just living in my season, and that soon enough I’ll be living in a different season of life.

Some of us may be in the newlywed season of life. Our fridges are fairly bare, our canned foods are kept in a shelf in our dining area- because the apartment doesn’t have a pantry! We find joy in making simple recipes with our spouse, and occasionally we try our hand at a more complex recipe- because sometimes just trying something new with our spouse is an adventure! And maybe we eat out more often than we should- because between work and school and juggling the newlywed life, we don’t always have the time to make dinner.

Some of us are in the delightful trenches of raising young children. We may feel that our whole day is spent in the kitchen- feeding toddlers, constantly cleaning up messes, trying our best to get dinner on the table amidst keeping everyone alive. We have mastered a few special recipes, but most nights our meal plans consist of whatever is easy and we feel confident we might be able to get on the table. Peanut butter sandwiches and macaroni n’ cheese are a staple.

Some of us are in the process of raising our teenagers. We feel blessed to be able to ask for their help in the kitchen- though sometimes it may be more of a hassle than a help ;). We find joy in watching them try new recipes on their own- some turning out pretty good, others leading to funny family stories for the future ;). We like to keep homemade baked goods on hand for those occasions when our kids bring their friends over, and we feel pretty confident in our ability to produce a beautiful and delicious home-cooked meal. We have our staple family recipes, but occasionally branch out to try new things as well. However, we may eat out or have leftovers more often than we wish simply because it can get a little crazy running our kids to all their activities!

Some of us are in the grandparent stage of life. Our kitchen is a place of joy, and we make sure we always have our grand-darlings favorite foods on hand- because isn’t that our job, as grandma and grandpa? Maybe we have dubbed ourselves the “ice cream” grandma, or the “cookie” grandma- a treat our grandkids can always count on when coming to grandma’s house ;). We find joy in helping our grown children- maybe we provide dinner when the new baby arrives or the family is sick; maybe we help stock up the pantry of our new home-owner children; maybe we enjoy having our grandchildren over to teach them an age-old family recipe. Dinner time is an adjustment- because after years of cooking for a big family- you now only cook for 2!

And some of us may be in a mix of these seasons- maybe you’re a newlywed with a new baby, or young children. Maybe you’re a grandparent, with the opportunity to watch your grandchildren during the day. Maybe you’re attempting to raise teenagers AND young children.

Whatever your season of life, I hope you are finding joy. Sometimes it’s easy to focus on the hard things we’re experiencing in our season of life. We wish for times past, or maybe the times to come. But there is always joy to be found. Maybe you have to try harder sometimes than others, but find that joy. If being in the kitchen has become mundane and life-sucking- find something to change that! Maybe it’s been too long since you’ve tried a new recipe, or made your absolute favorite one! Maybe you’re in need of a good set of dishes, or just a new can opener. Maybe you need to re-discover a purpose- teaching a young child to cook, finding someone to serve with your skills. Whatever you need to do, find joy in your season!

I would love to hear from you- what season of life are you enjoying right now? Do you find it joyful, or do you find yourself wishing for another season? Share with us below!