CELEBRATING THE CHAOS
Photos by Elizabeth Bernhardt
HOLLIE KAZSYNKSI
A little untidiness in a friend’s home reminds me that everyone’s life is real. Sometimes, we have to invite the chaos to the party instead of fighting it. Embrace it. Make it part of the show. Laugh with it. Celebrate it. See what happens.
My oven was suddenly broken. My dear friend, Elizabeth, and her family were coming over for supper. I had not figured out how I was going to pull off a decent meal. Besides that, it was going to be a long, challenging day at work — one of those days when you have to remind yourself to breathe because you just might forget with all the motion, going from one thing to another without stopping. Oh, and my house wasn’t super tidy. This seemed like a recipe for disaster.
What happened that day was that Elizabeth ran late getting to my house. She was having a day, too. She came in, and we embraced one another, exchanged knowing looks, and laughed because this particular slice of life could not be any messier. Without a trace of judgment over my untidy house and unkempt appearance, she asked what I was making. “Pork tacos and kale salad,” I said. “It’s not fancy. They’re so easy to make, it’s embarrassing. But, I promise these tacos will make all things right.”
When I did catch my breath that day, I reminded myself that being with dear friends doesn’t require anything pretentious. In fact, the less pretentious, the better. I reminded myself how good it feels when I go into a home that doesn’t have every single thing in order.
In addition to being my dear friend, Elizabeth is also my food photographer. She took out her camera and started snapping away, capturing shots of this experience. My hands in the kale. Me throwing kale in the air. Me laughing with my oldest son, who was more than happy to serve as a taco-eating model.
LOVE OF DIXIE MAGAZINE
- 14 -
SPRING 2019
