People Born In These 4 Months Cook When They Can’t Talk About It

Sometimes “Have you eaten?” is the closest you can get to what you mean. Other times, dinner becomes unusually elaborate because somebody asked how your day went. For these four birth months, cooking gives their hands something to do while they figure out what to say.

April: When You’re Too Angry To Explain

April, you like to do something about a problem. Being told to wait, calm down, or accept a decision you had no say in leaves you with energy and absolutely nowhere useful to put it. Ask what happened too soon and you’ll have to start with the whole history of the situation. So you get out the potatoes.

You prefer having something to do when you’re upset. In the kitchen, there’s a clear next step: chop this, stir that, find the bigger pan. Dinner may become more ambitious than you intended, especially once someone offers to help.

As you cook, you begin putting the frustration into words. You tell the person beside you what happened, stop to check something on the stove, then explain why it bothered you so much. By the time you sit down, they understand why a simple question about your day resulted in three side dishes.

July: When You Miss Someone

You remember how people fed you, July. Who cut everything smaller than necessary. Who insisted the sauce needed another minute, then stood there tasting it for five. When you miss someone, the question “Are you okay?” can feel far too large to answer while you’re standing in a doorway. But you can say what you’re making for dinner.

You make something you associate with them: a meal they cooked often, a favorite you shared, or the dish they always requested when they came over. You remember how they liked it and catch yourself following their preferences even when you’re only cooking for yourself.

When someone asks what smells so good, you have a story ready. You tell them who used to make it, or why you always think of that person when you do. It’s easier to begin there than to say how much you miss them.

September: When You Don’t Know What Will Happen

September, you like knowing what needs to happen next. When something important is unsettled, you can spend hours going over the same possibilities without getting any closer to an answer. You don’t always want to talk through them again.

A familiar recipe gives you something you know how to handle. You can tell when the onions need stirring or the sauce needs more time. You make small decisions and see them work, which feels good after a day of having so little to go on.

If someone joins you, they can help with dinner without asking for an update. You talk about other things for a while. The uncertainty is still there, but it isn’t the only thing you’ve thought about all evening.

November: When It’s Easier To Show You Care

November, you remember what people like. Someone mentions a favorite meal once, and you’re already thinking about making it the next time they come over. You may not announce how much you’ve been looking forward to seeing them, but you’ve given dinner plenty of thought.

Cooking gives your affection somewhere to go. You choose something they’ll enjoy, remember what they always leave on the plate, and make enough for them to take some home. When they ask whether you went to all this trouble for them, you say it was something you felt like making.

Then they take a bite and realize you remembered their favorite. The smile across the table is the part you were looking forward to.