Tea and Toast
When I was in my early twenties, my mother had a habit of making a pot of tea and a stack of toast for her and Daddy at any given moment. It could be breakfast, mid morning, afternoon, or the evening meal. I remember thinking that he was so deprived and she should be making him full balanced meals, not feeding a full grown man of 6'2" and weighing nearly 200 pounds just toast and tea(never dawned on me something had to contribute to his size other than starvation). Oh my heart ached for him and I thought my mother was just awful for treating him in such a way. After all, that's not how a wife should treat her husband! So of coarse, being the full rounded good daughter and wife that I was(and medler), I would make meals and drop them off, invite them over for dinner, invite myself over so Momma would cook, any excuse to get a "good " meal down the two of them. I have to admit, my father was very thankful and delighted in the treatment and filled his plate again and again. I in the end felt myself justified that they at least had gotten one good meal in them that day. My mother remained unempressed and returned to her toast and tea. I could never figure out what was "wrong" with her. Why did she not love to cook and wait on my loving father?

Now, in my late 50's, while driving home from a full day's work, I dread the thought of going home and facing my other "job" for the evening, knowing full well when I get home, the thought of a home cooked meal will be on my husband and son's mind, wondering what delicious dish I would come up with tonight. Well, last night my son was gone for the evening (lucky me), so my husband got a bowl of soup from a can heated in the microwave along with a ham and cheese sandwich toasted in the toaster oven and I felt like I did pretty good. I myself had a pot of tea and didn't even manage to get a piece of buttered toast made. Hmmm. Maybe my momma's tea and toast wasn't so bad after all. Wonder what my daughter would have thought if she had stopped by last night? Ya, know, I could go for some tea and toast as we speak. There is nothing that will keep me from my tea and a buttered piece of toast when I awake of a morning. Doesn't matter if it's hot. Doesn't matter if it's cold. Doesn't matter if I'm sick or well, just give me my Tea and Toast.