It's March, and March means the Slice of Life Story Challenge. All are welcome to join the challenge of noticing and writing about the moments of daily life that are stories.
"Uh oh," Garth and I both said as Julia came into the kitchen just as we were cleaning up the dinner mess.
"There's not much left here for dinner," he said.
"Don't you worry," I said to Julia. "We'll make you a great dinner."
She'd come in late on Thursday night since she had worked and then headed to physical therapy. ACL reconstruction is a long recovery!
I'd also had a long day at work, and then I finally went for my shingles booster shot. (I'd postponed that and procrastinated that for six months and a week.) Maybe it was fatigue, maybe it was the effect of the shot, maybe I'm just losing my mind a l little, (I'm needing every excuse I can think of...) but I had sort of forgotten about making her a plate of dinner. In fact, I was so busy gathering advice from my aunt who is a retired kindergarten teacher that I ate all the potatoes without thinking about the third person who'd be coming in hungry. (Again, looking for excuses here!) Garth and I had scraped together omelettes for dinner which had served me well as my arm was already sore and a headache was developing.
We resurrected the mess, scraping even further to make an omelette for Julia despite her assertions that she was fine, and then, as part of the cleaning process, she tried to assemble her lunch for the following day.
"Not much here for lunch, either," Julia laughed as we cleaned the kitchen for a second time.
"Don't you worry," I said. "I have plenty on hand for a great salad for you, and I'll make it in the morning."
A recent slicer had written about stopping home and enjoying the lunch her mother made her. My Julia is in between college and graduate school beginning in June, and we usually make lunch for or with each other. I'm savoring my days with her, and there's something about sending someone you love off with food that feels so good to me.
I'm proud to say that I was a better mother in the morning. Booster shots knock me down, and I did very little else on Friday but I did get up to make my girl a fabulous salad for lunch.
Sometimes there's just enough left.
Beautiful ending... just enough left. So much meaning in those three words.
ReplyDeleteSweet ending. I love how you’re savoring these moments and despite not feeling well, you still took care of your girl!
ReplyDeleteI agree - love the ending! I need to get my shingles shot. I have been putting it off. This might be the push I need to go get it done!
ReplyDeleteSuch honest confessions! This is nothing. I've been a much worse mother on several occasions. And without a booster shot, too.
ReplyDeleteI love that last line - all we need is just enough! Thank you for a glimpse into your life.
ReplyDeleteThere are so many interesting posts here on food and yours is full of generosity. I, too, love the ending and the sentiment that we can be full, find ways to show our love, even when it looks like we don't have enough. Beautiful post, Melanie :)
ReplyDeleteI feel like my fridge may look like yours lately. I'd kill to have someone make me a salad...mostly because I'm too lazy. If I have to cook for myself I lean toward a piece of toast. That salad was really kind of you.
ReplyDeleteI love the line about being a better mother in the morning; although I could only dream to be half the mother that you are!
ReplyDeleteThis was relatable and so well told!
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