Dear Mom,
At lunch during grade school Ruthie and I would always walk home. You could do that back then—now it’s kind of like a prison. You’d always have something ready for us to eat although for the life of me I can’t recall eating anything in particular. I do however recall you eating sardines out of a can. I wanted to know why I couldn’t have sardines.
“You won’t like them.”
“Well can I try?”
I found it fascinating to eat an entire fish, head, tender bones and all. You seemed to be enjoying it so much, I had to try.
I ended up liking it which wasn’t surprising because I ate everything you’d put in front of me. Maybe you hoped I wouldn’t like it and that’s why you said that. Having sardines was probably somewhat of an extravagance and one you didn’t care to share with your children. Since Ruthie hardly ate anything there were no worries there.
Any time I pass sardines in the grocery store I’m transported back into the kitchen on St. Denis feeling quite grown-up eating your sardines.
Just hopped over here from Becky Povich's blog. What a wonderful way for you to remember your mother and remain in conversation with her.
ReplyDeletei remember one time begging you to buy sardines for me. tom from "tom and jerry" made them look sooooo tasty in the cartoons. you told me i wouldnt like them, and as soon as i peeled back that little tin, i was disgusted... didnt even touch the things.
ReplyDeleteHI Lynn,
ReplyDeleteYour entry reminded me of a time when my mom told my step-dad that we were having fish for dinner...and she opened a can of sardines. Oh my.
Hi Katie, thanks for stopping by. Casey, that's funny. And Linda, that's funny too!
ReplyDeleteMy grandma used to feed me "kipper snacks" for lunch, which I think were sardines in a can. My cousin Jo Ann and I used to fight over which of us got to turn the key to open the can (the cans came with a "key" that hooked onto a metal tab and you rolled it back to reveal the kipper snacks).
ReplyDelete