Soulful food!

I walked out of the doctor’s office and got into my car. I can’t tell you the last time I’ve eaten McDonald’s or Wendy’s. I try to eat healthy. However, I found myself suddenly fighting the urge to stop.

The urge was like a magnet pulling on me. I nearly turned my car in the other direction.

Where did the craving come from?

My mom, of course.

Five minutes of pain

When I was little kid, I had a lot of issues with my ears. I had nerve damage in my left ear and would get this strange muffled sensation that made me feel like I was struggling underwater. The doctor would drain my ears of wax and build-up. I remember the draining procedure causing a quite bit of pain.

One time in particular the doctor was cavalier in his approach and probed too close to a nerve. I convulsed on the exam table and let out a scream like I had been shot. The doctor apologized but it did nothing to diminish the pain in my ear.

My mom encouraged me to hold on. She told me that she would take me out to McDonalds if I was brave for five more minutes. My little brain didn’t understand much, but I understood that. Five minutes of pain for a fun treat. Somehow it worked.

A McDonald’s cheeseburger and french fry for the win.

Mom and son

As I drove home, I thought about how my mom and I have bonded over the years over food. When my mom worried about me in high school in the 80s and wanted to know what was going on in my life, she’d pick me up after cross country practice and take me out for dinner. We’d stop at a local diner where we could get a relatively cheap steak and salad bar. I would feast to my hearts content and spill my guts out.

In college, she’d pick me up on a Thursday night or Sunday afternoon and we’d go to Elby’s, a popular chain of restaurants in Pennsylvania and Ohio. I appreciated the food. However, I was most grateful to get away from campus. It gave me the chance to let my guard down.

A break from the craziness

For desert, we’d share a chocolate lava cake with hot fudge.

Oh those were the days.

I might have been drowning in college worries. How was I ever going to get everything done in time? How was I going to pay for college? Through it all though I came away feeling like that chocolate lava cake could solve anything.

Yes, those lunches and dinners helped keep me fed, but more than anything they fed the soul.