Yhem Speaks

Thinking of this prompt question today… The first thing that came to mind and also, the easiest to remember is my creamy chicken soup.

I tasted it for the first time at work, during lunch. I didn’t expect anything special that day. But one spoon was enough. It was warm and gentle, the kind of meal that makes you slow down without trying. Since then, this soup has quietly become one of the small things I look forward to in this country.

Now, whenever I go out for dinner, I check the menu with hope. If I see creamy chicken soup, I don’t bother thinking twice. I’ve had all kinds of versions; some thick with corn and potatoes, some lighter with herbs and vegetables but each one takes me back to that first bowl. And let me say this: if you’ve never tried creamy chicken soup with bread or even rice, please do. It’s one of the easiest ways to make your taste buds smile.

But here’s the funny part: after all this time of loving it, I’ve never tried to make it myself at home.

It’s not that I don’t know where to start. I know there are recipes online. I know I could watch a YouTube video and follow along step by step. I even imagine myself doing it. Cutting vegetables, stirring slowly, and tasting carefully. But I stop right there, in the imagination.

I think it’s because I’m scared it won’t taste the same.
What if I make it and it just feels wrong?
What if I ruin the peaceful feeling I’ve attached to it?
What if my own version disappoints me?

It sounds silly, but it means something to me. It’s comfort, it’s the kind of meal that makes my taste buds feel taken care of, the one thing I can count on when I just want something simple and satisfying.

Still, now and then, I tell myself, Maybe this weekend. Maybe I’ll finally buy the ingredients. Maybe I’ll stop overthinking and just try. After all, it’s only soup. But to me, it’s more than that.

One day, I’ll make it. It might turn out great, it might not. But at least I won’t keep wondering what if?

With stories always,

Yhem💞