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Health & Fitness

Fancy China

Growing up my family had a china cabinet. My mom kept her best dishes and crystal in there. Most were wedding gifts and the occasional mother’s day or Christmas gifts. These dishes were only brought out for special occasions; Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. I remember washing these dishes with the utmost care because I knew how special they were to my mom.

When I left for college I couldn’t afford such pretty plates. I was married young and most of my friends could not afford expensive gifts so I didn’t have “china”. In 1993 my mom suffered an aneurysm which affected her short term memory and she unable to work as a nurse anymore. She also was left wheelchair bound for the rest of her life. After her subsequent divorce splitting of all belongings, all my mom had left was the beautiful china. I cared for mom for several years. I was a college student with a child and a husband. I was 22 years old and felt the weight of the world on my shoulders.

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After several years of therapy and vocational rehabilitation my mother moved out to live on her own. One day I came over to clean her apartment, bathe her and I cooked us dinner. She grabbed one plate at a time and maneuvered her wheelchair to set the table. When I looked down I saw the beautiful china I grew up seeing on display most of my childhood. I asked my mom why she was using the good china, today was not special. She looked at me and said “every day is special. A couple years ago I almost died. Today I am here with you and my grandson and that makes today special.”

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In 2002 my mom died. Today I too have beautiful china…but I don’t have a china cabinet. While they are not our everyday dishes they are also not only for special occasions. I work long hours building my business and often don’t get to spend much time with my children. But when we have those small moments for no particular reason I will break out our fancy plates, as my children call them, and we just enjoy a fun meal.

Today my mom and my husband are no longer with us. Today my four children and I had breakfast on our fancy plates; fried eggs and bacon dippers… because today is a special day.

Written by Xiomara Hall, Owner and Chef of Tropical BBQ in Murrieta, CA

Reposted from http://murrietamommas.com/


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