It seems to be as ubiquitous in rural Poland as the headscarf. Walk into a Polish home and you’re likely to see the matriarch in an apron. Whether cooking or not; whether cleaning or not; the only thing that matters is whether or not you’re out of bed.

And if you’re going to visit family for an extended period of time, you take them with you.

My mother-in-law wears aprons all the time. As I write this, I can look over and see her working crossword puzzles, wearing the apron she was wearing when she emerged from her room at 6:30 this morning.

It makes me smile.