Slice of Life 2020 – Day 15
Do you have a friend who enjoys cooking? A friend who enjoys cooking for others. A friend who loves entertaining and having guests over. We do, and last evening we were invited over to their home for dinner. Whenever we go there, we can expect a well thought out menu, with each dish carefully selected, prepped and executed to tell a story and experience new flavors. Last night did not disappoint.
It came as a spontaneous invitation arriving early afternoon after our four previous attempts to get together had failed for one reason or another. We have learned that spontaneity seems to be the best route to successfully getting together. I was especially relieved because the couple extending the invitation both hold positions in an area hospital and I’ve been worried about the demands of the stress of their jobs, wondering how they’re holding up.
Hi. Where r u guys today? texted Friend.
I replied, Hanging at home. I’ve been thinking about you two. Are you guys doing okay? Need anything?
Friend asked, Do you want to social isolate with us and come over for dinner and drinks tonight?
Husband says yes! What can we bring?
Bring a few of your fancy beers. We’ve got the rest covered.
A few additional texts to sort out the details of time and we had a plan. If two professionals in the health care profession approved of a small gathering of four, it seemed like a safe option. I also really just wanted to check in with both of them and make sure they are both doing fine. They’re not. They’re stressed. They’re tired. They’re on overload. We accepted the invitation and looked forward to the evening ahead.
Husband headed out to two of our favorite local craft breweries in search of a variety of beers for sampling while I stayed home in a quiet house to write since I hadn’t gotten around to it yet. He came home disappointed there wasn’t much of a selection when it came to dark beers, our preferred choice. Were people hoarding beer along with toilet paper and hand sanitizer, I wondered.
We arrived and were met without hugs or handshakes, which felt really strange. Not our usual hearty, hug-filled greetings, but it didn’t take us long to settle into our typical meet up filled with laughter and love. Was there actually a world of uncertainty happening? For the four of us, it didn’t seem so. And then Friend’s phone started blowing up. There are no weekends off for her. She politely took care of business throughout the evening, but it was obvious the strain of preparing for the unknown in the healthcare industry is extreme.
We exchanged our individual stories of preparing for the long days ahead when we likely won’t be dining together. We inquired about family members, particularly our aging parents. Friend and I been friends since grade school and grew up down the street from one another. We ended up as college roommates. We’re more than friends. We’re family.
As the evening progressed, I observed Friend’s husband, Chef, expertly preparing shrimp risotto. He stirred, poured, sprinkled and plated an incredibly tasty meal. He shared specifics of the ingredients to help us learn more about what we were eating. For dessert, Chef had prepared Panna cotta. When placed in front of me, I gasped. It looked too pretty to eat with the raspberry and mint leaves staring up at me, so I began by taking a sip of Limoncello instead. I wondered why I’ve never tasted something so deliciously lemon. The four of us leisurely enjoyed what remained of the evening together, sharing more stories and laughter.
Throughout the evening I also witnessed how a simple gathering allowed friends to detach from our current reality for a while. Food and friendship is powerful medicine.
Growing & Learning 