Home From College

When my oldest son, Jim, first went away to college, he realized that his friends look forward to the good food they will eat at home at Thanksgiving break. One said, “My Mom makes the best dressing and pecan pie. I can taste it now, just thinking about it.” Another said, “We have fresh vegetables that Mom grows in her garden. Dad makes a big production of standing at the head of the table to slice the turkey, asking each person in turn what they want. White or dark? Leg or wing?”

Jim can only add to his college friends’ Thanksgiving holiday extolations, “I look forward to seeing Mom, playing guitar with my two brothers and going out with my friends to Carey Hilliard’s restaurant. They have the best sweet tea.”

“Jim, your friends love my fall-apart roast beef with yellow rice. And, you always request nachos. Have you forgotten the fried oysters at Thanksgiving and Christmas?” I attempt to take my place beside those parents with their admired culinary skills.

“Your roast and rice are good, but you serve it every occasion. The nachos are good and so are the fried oysters. But, Mom, we’ve never carved a turkey at the table. The turkey always collapses in its own juices in the pan.” Jim speaks the truth.

“Once, Aaron, Sam and I tried to think of something you make that’s good. After a long time Aaron remembered he likes your beef stroganoff. Then, Sam remembered he likes your omelets,” Jim relates. This is Jim’s gracious attempt to salve my hurt feelings.

“And, you like my waiting on you hand and foot when you are home,” I respond, remembering his driving his car to the front door, where it now sits for the holidays.

“That’s what Moms are supposed to do,” Jim smiles. I smile too, picturing him at two, refusing table food, while pointing to the Jr Baby Food jar he wants in the pantry behind his high chair. Until now, I never realized that my firstborn could have been choosing Jr. Baby Food over my home cooking. But, he didn’t know Carey Hilliard’s back then.