What I Remember Most
The thing I remember most about Memére
is not
her cooking.
She was a great cook, putting
together feasts
with an
ease that dumbfounded me
when I
was young and cooking was still magic.
She understood one fundamental
truth about food-
There is no such thing as too
much salt.
Her meals were memorable, but
not just for the food.
The thing I remember most about Memére
is not
her driving.
Anyone who drove with Memére
(especially
on those long drives to
was
treated to long discussions on nothing in particular,
sing-a-long
songs, missed highway exits,
and
mild cases of whiplash.
Her driving was memorable,
but
it's not what stands out strongest in my memory.
The thing I remember most about Memére
is not
her music.
Her family (and her fellow Bel-Aires)
know
how much she enjoyed her singing,
we did
too.
Her prowess with the spoons and
kazoo was legendary,
but it
is not what I remember most.
The thing I remember most about Memére
is not
her consistent and utter refusal
to
accept the reply "No thanks, I've just eaten",
or her
devastating Scrabble vocabulary,
or her
molten coffee.
The thing I remember most about
my Memére
is
laughter.
It was the secret ingredient in
the family feasts
and the
reason for the missed exits.
It was the reason that no matter
how much she aged,
to me,
she was never old.
The thing I will miss the most
about my Memére
is her
laughter.
Kevin
W. Fitzpatrick