How To Know It's Time
I’ve thought about this moment so many times in my life. Waiting for energy to build, watching for signs— wondering, Are we ready yet? And like the pot, sometimes the shift happens all at once. Sudden. Obvious. Unmistakable.
Marlene Luneng
5/18/20251 min read
How To Know It’s Time
“Grab this pot,, mom says, pointing to a medium-sized aluminum pot we used to cook with. I pick it up and bring it to the water jug on the counter. I lift off the white lid and pick up the white, hard, plastic measuring cup to scoop water out and fill the pot half full of water. Then I carry the pot to the stove.
“What do I do now?” I ask Mom. She tells me to turn it to the HIGH setting and watch for bubbles.
I am filled with excitement at doing something grown-up. I do not know how old I am but I am old enough to stand in front of the stove and watch for bubbles in the pot.
Soon, I see small bubbles gathering at the bottom of the pot. “Mom, is the water boiling? I see bubbles.” She comes over and takes a look.
“They have to be bigger bubbles,” she says.
A few moments go by, and I see small bubbles floating up to the top of the pot. With excitement, I ask, “Mom, is it boiling now?”
“No, she says. We need to have bigger bubbles.”
Feeling a bit deflated. Like these bubbles are never going to appear, I watch. The bubbles get bigger, but now I don’t know, are these bubbles big enough? Do I ask Mom? She is busy with other things in the kitchen.
I ask, “Mom, are these big enough bubbles?”
“Almost, you will have a full, rapid boil soon,” she answers as she peeks into the pot.
Then it happened. In an instant. The whole pot was indeed in a boil, a full, rapid boil. Now I knew what Mom was looking for. “Mom, is this boiling?”
“Yes,” she says.