The Power of Pumpkin Pie

An excerpt from A Cup of Tea on the Commode.

Racked with guilt, I rushed to her bedside and asked, “Are you hungry, Mom?” She instantly perked up. “Whaddaya got?” Her first words in weeks.

Shocked, I offered, “Anything you want.”

She considered for a moment. “How about some pumpkin pie?”

March was not exactly pumpkin-pie season, but my brother Michael accepted the challenge and by some small miracle returned with not one but two pumpkin pies.

Mom spit out the first spoonful. That didn’t go so well, I thought.

But I tried again to great success. Maybe too great. Totally energized, she downed half the pie. The next day she finished the second pie and then moved on to sherbet, and only sherbet, eight bowls a day. Normally a cause for concern, we ignored the high sugar intake for the time being. Mom was back, and she punctuated her return with a zinger for me.

“I haven’t seen you in a long while,” referring to my long absence.

“I know, Mom. Sorry,” was the only response I could muster.

So, lessons learned. Never underestimate the power of pumpkin pie, no matter what time of year. And never stay away too long from your mom.

#Humor #Memoir #eldercare #acupofteaonthecommode #pumpkinpie