Not wanting to leave them out of the fun, I have graciously passed the sickness down to my husband and daughter. I'm generous like that. Fortunately, I am feeling quite a bit better. Being the strongest one of the family, I am playing nurse and cook and medicine dispenser.
First order of business of the day: a big pot of chicken soup. You see, chicken soup, sickness, and I go way back. Whenever my siblings and I were sick as children, my mother's attention flooded singularly on the ailing child. And we knew within a few hours we would have a bowl of steaming hot, homemade chicken soup sitting before us. It was full of garlic, lemon, and love. I'll admit, I grew a little fond of sick times, if only for the extra attention and delicious soup.
College introduced me to a cruel reality: no mom around equals no chicken soup when sick. I remember that first time I rolled over in the top bunk one morning as I heard my freshman roommate getting ready. In my most pathetic sick voice, I revealed the crushing news that I was sick. Expecting the announcement to send her into immediate soup-making action, I was greeted with the response, "Oh, I'm sorry. Well, I'm off to class." And with that the door shut behind her taking all my hopes for soup and special attention with her.
A friend recently told me she was sick. Being a single mom herself, she reminded me of my freshman college experience. I couldn't conceive of my friend being sick, having to take care of her child, and no(!) chicken(!) soup(!). The horrors, truly. I speedily offered to make her some soup, and in a short while, she came by to pick up a thermos full. She expressed gratitude, but I'm sure there was a part of her that wondered about the insistence of my offer. Truth is, I made it for her, and maybe, in part, for the memory of that 19-year-old girl, laying in bed like a weenie, facing reality for the first time.
But I can't help it. Sick = chicken soup = love. Plain and simple.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Pot o' love
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8 comments:
Actually the first thing I ever remember you cooking me was chicken soup in Andrew's apartment our freshman year I think :-) We weren't sick... just hungry.
This is brilliant; just keep it up
(I mean, the soup making, not the ill times).
Love,
Chicken soup mom
Alina...(fake cough, cough), I don't feel good...
i hear you can fedex soup to miami for a reasonable price ;)
Kelly and Kate,
I wish I could! Really. They've got to improve smell and taste-o-vision with these computers.
Try matza ball soup! It's a nice twist on the homemade soup and a lot easier to make. You can throw all the same ingredients (onion, garlic, carrots) but you get the added yummy matza balls...delicious!
I didn't think I could love my husband more than I already did, then he went and said that the no-recipe, impromptu chicken & noodles that I made because we were both miserably sick would stand up against his grandma's. I hardly ever cook. Love.
Found you via your comment on Schmutzie's last post. I say go for it, it feels good ;-).
After dating for just a few weeks I came down with a cold and Clif came over with home made chicken soup. I was a goner from that point on.
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