For as long as I can remember, my mom would always be in the kitchen stirring up new recipes or baking pastries. She would always tell us how she didn’t feel obligated to cook for us, but instead, she genuinely enjoyed making food because it brought her comfort. I never understood what she meant by this because I saw it as another chore to avoid. However, my perspective of this changed due to one small inconvenience. It was a cold Sunday afternoon; I have been resting all day because I was feeling very ill. My mom warned me to wear another layer of clothes before going to school, but of course, being a stubborn thirteen-year-old I went without wearing a jacket. That weekend I wasn’t allowed outside. So I was forced to stay in bed, which I didn’t mind until my mom called me to help her cook. I groaned my way out of bed and slowly put on my slippers. I tried to look frail, but my mom didn’t buy it. She handed me an onion and asked me to cut it into pieces. I could already feel my eyes water up as the onion’s aroma filled the air. I grabbed the cutting board and headed to the table. As I did, I watched my mom turn on the radio to her favorite channel and place her apron on. She opened up the pantry and picked out bright red tomatoes, golden Yukon potatoes, carrots, and two handfuls of green beans placing them in a bowl. As I was finishing up the last bit of onions, she asked me to wash the vegetables. I walked up to the bowl full of colorful vegetables and began to rinse them one by one. I dried them with a towel and placed them on the cutting board. I peeled the potatoes and cut them into squares. My mom walked in, I could smell the fresh basil and mint leaves she picked out of the small garden she had. She placed all the ingredients down and began to prepare the soup. She blended the tomatoes, basil, onions, and garlic, turning it into a smooth red paste. She placed the washed chicken breast into a big pot of boiling water. I joined in and sprinkled some onion and oil in a pan. As I let the onions fry, I drained the rice and placed it into the pan. My mom waited for the rice to fry and added the tomato paste. I could hear the sizzling of the rice as it let out a popcorn-like smell. My stomach began to rumble. My mom placed the vegetables onto the soup and sprinkled in some lemon, oregano, salt, pepper, and a dash of red pepper flakes. I turned around and filled up a pitcher with water. My mom passed me the sugar and mint leaves. I added everything and began to stir it while she squeezed in some lemons. When everything was ready, we placed the soup into five bowls and served it with some rice. My mom didn’t need to call for anyone. My family came down as soon as the smell of the food engulfed the house. I was the last one to sit down since I was cooking some tortillas. Watching my family together laughing and enjoying the food made me realize why my mom loved cooking so much.