“Why does Grandma always make us food?” he asked me from the backseat. Although he’s only just turned four, he’s already noticed.

“Because she loves you,” I replied.

I watched him think about that response for a moment before he said, “Well, she sure is a good maker.”

“The best,” I replied.

It was a cold, Thursday night. Thursday is the day I work into the evening and then coach soccer or basketball, depending on the season. After I drop one off, I drive back into town to pick up another from her long night of dance practice.

On Thursday mornings I typically receive a text such as, “There’s a turkey in my oven if you’d like it later.” On my drive home, when my kids ask what’s for dinner, I tell them, “Grandma made it.”

“Oh yay!” they reply - my husband included. Whatever it is she makes, we know it will be good. When I stop to pick up the turkey, it typically includes about four sides and a dessert. “Oh, and I added mashed potatoes and some broccoli salad and some buns. Brownies are in the container on top. Be careful. It’s hot.”

Sometimes she adds a container of grapes – washed and ready to be eaten, knowing I’ll pack it in tomorrow’s school lunches-along with the leftovers. Sometimes she sends ground beef she has cooked so it’s ready for when I need it for the future spaghettis. Sometimes it’s a dessert or two for no reason.

She does it because she loves us. She does it because she knows, as a working mom, I rarely have the time to get dinner on the table in between the coming and going– and the gift of a meal is a gift of time. It’s the gift of getting home and having it ready and spending quality time with my family.

She makes meals for friends and drops off baked goods. Sometimes it’s when a friend has just gotten home from the hospital and sometimes it’s when they’ve had a tough week. It’s one way she shows her love to those she cares about.

She is a good maker. The best I know.