I received a call from my mother-in-law about a week back to discuss the Thanksgiving menu. I knew before I answered what it was about and I knew what she was going to ask me to bring before the request was made: Potato Salad. Any reason to have it is a good reason, which is something I learned just over 20 years ago the first time my housemom made it for me.
I never even liked it before then, but I loved hers so much that she eventually started making a small extra bowl of it just for me. After years of this, she finally said to me, “ok- now it’s time to teach you how to make it for yourself.” And she did. When I wanted to impress my husband’s family upon meeting them for the first time, I made a pan of it and prayed they would like me as much as they were going to love the potato salad.
Years later and I’m still asked to bring it to every family function, even on Thanksgiving. So as I make my shopping list, I can’t help but smile and be grateful for a mom that loved me enough in the details to pass along a tradition to me that would carry over into family for years to come. Those meals at Big Oak meant something and were special. I’m thankful for each of them, the food shared and the people that sat around those tables in my season of being a resident and to each of you that it has forever graphed into my family though the roots we shared there. Happy Thanksgiving to you all from your Ranch sister and mine.
With Love,
Amanda Rowell