Did you know Julia Child learned to cook at age 37? I didn’t, until I finished the irritatingly likable Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen by Julie Powell. I wasn’t going to finish this book, because Julie, the author, seems to be just what Julia Child thought she was – a bit uppity. And because she begins the book by crying about getting ready to turn 30 and selling her eggs. And I’ll side with her blog reader who asks does she really have to use the f word so much?
But I kept reading, and when I neared the end I stayed up until 1:30 in the morning just to find out what she cooked next, and because every once in awhile I'd come across a little nugget of clarity to make the short night of sleep worthwhile. Like when she talks to the dungeon owner and realizes that world is so much bigger than she thought it was, full of possibilities and interesting people who go out on a limb to savor life.
But then I had to cry as I read the end of the book, the end that kept being followed by one more chapter. Here I sit almost 40, mother to six minions, still sort of floundering about. It’s easy to fall prey to a self-pitying belief that any savoring of life that was to be mine is already over. I’ve had a fair share of good times, a repertoire of happy memories, but I also have a stash of shelved plans and dreams, and a lack of confidence in my ability and desire to pursue them. So why get so sentimental, so angsty, about getting older? Julie quotes what she wrote about Julia “I have no claim over the woman at all, unless it’s the claim one who has nearly drowned has over the person who pulled her out of the ocean.” Maybe because in this drowning season, I’m still waiting for someone to pull me up. Maybe I need to take a cooking class.
Probably the best solution is to learn to appreciate what I have, to relish the pleasures that my life affords, instead of hankering after someone else’s bliss.
Because really, what can be more satisfying than the warm body of a loving husband, or an afternoon at the beach jumping waves while clutching the hand of a small child? Julie reveals at the end of the book after Julia has died that she has no faith in the resurrection. So no wonder she put so much work into her project. What else had she to comfort her without the knowledge that the hard times and the humiliation, not mastering the art of French cooking, are what in the end redeem us.
In the Shadow of the Past
2 months ago
3 comments:
I didn't read the book, but I saw the movie. I loved the parts about Julia Childs, but couldn't stand the parts about Julie-I just couldn't bring myself to like that self-absorbed person. I think that one of the joys of family is you have to lose yourself and put others first and that makes all parents so much more likeable than someone whose only concern is for themselves, regardless of their hobbies and interests. I'd say you are doing just fine, right where you are!
Hi Anne - I had heard good things about the movie, which is why I picked up the book in the first place, but I'm not surprised to hear you say Julie comes across as self-absorbed even in the movie. I love what you're saying about families. I've often struggled with how difficult it is to lose yourself in others when the rest of the world keeps telling us we need to find ourselves. But it's pretty obvious to me that my vocation needed to be marriage and family to help me grow in humility! Glad to have the encouragement of friends online.
"The hard times and the humiliation," as you say, are what will ultimately contribute to the salvation of our souls. Sounds like what the Bible says, too, about "being saved by childbearing." Thank God for His gifts! More than once I have felt that the pressures of life were driving me to a nervous breakdown, but the responsibilities of family life kept me anchored, and still above water.
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