Chicken artichoke noodle soup in the company of others

It seems that I get sick every seasonal break I have in college. This might be my body finally relaxing by releasing all stress and illness at once, but this happens to me every. Single. College. Break. Both my mom and sister work and often opposite schedules than me. But when I get sick, my mom usually does too.

During my last fall break, my mom made her and I an artichoke chicken noodle soup while we were both sick and it has become such a strange, fond memory of mine. Nuzzled up on the couch together we were sniffling, slurping, laughing and crying as we binge watched the “Friday Night Lights” series all week long.

The warmth and comfort of this “brothy”, meal consists of penne pasta, artichoke leaves and hearts, dark and light meat chicken, and a few other vegetables. We devoured this soup throughout the week with an assortment of crackers. It became our only substance and something to look forward to in these cold, gloomy winter days.

At first it was rare if I ever spent one on one time with my mom because I do have an older sister very close in age. But as she got older, worked mornings as we took night shifts, and took up rock climbing, my mom and I have found each other’s company now in my young adult years. Don’t get me wrong, I would hate being an only child. But it is nice as a daughter to just focus on the relationship I have with my mother as the “two of us” rather than “we as three.”

Comfortably wrapped in heavy blankets, sweatshirts and endless bowls of artichoke chicken noodle soup, my mom and I bonded over our mutual hatred for blowing our noses. But we also savored the simple, loving moment we were able to have with each other. Just simple, us, guzzling down our favorite soup.

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