Chocolate Chip Cookies

A stack of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies.

Their aroma fills up the house.

My mom regularly made chocolate chip cookies

when I was a child. I remember

my brothers dunking the cookies in milk.

One of my brothers was too slow when he'd

dunk his cookie. It would turn into a soggy mess,

but he said that's how he liked it.

After a long day of school, my mom

would go to the kitchen to make cookies

and hot chocolate. There were many late nights

eating cookies, watching cartoons, playing video games,

and relaxing on the couch. It all felt so typical

back then. It was incredibly normal and routine,

which is why now that I'm older

I realize I took for granted

my mom's little acts of love.

I always feel like I'm back at home

when I smell cookies baking in the oven.

I associate cookies with my mom's smile,

jokes around a table, and holidays.