Those of you who read my A to Z post of November 11 might
recall how I like to alphabetize things. When I thought about holidays and
food, several words came to mind – fun, family, friends, fat and frustration.
The fun, family and friends are easy. Holidays are often
great times for enjoying a meal with friends and family. The food is good and
the company great. Laughter flows as good times are remembered and even sad
times take on a sort of nostalgia. I definitely associate holiday food with fun,
family and friends.
Unfortunately, because I enjoy this so much, I also think of
my waistline and that nasty little word, fat, comes to mind. I am quite
cautious when I step on my bathroom scale. Maybe this is why we have New Year’s
and a time for resolutions!
Did you find the last word puzzling? Actually, frustration
has nothing to do with the weight issue. It has to do with going down the line
of a buffet or smorgasbord. I simply can’t see food on the table when I am
standing up. Sometimes I can’t identify food when I am seated and it is placed
on the table in front of me. With even the short added distance to the buffet
table from a standing position it is nearly impossible.
I write this knowing that I am not alone with this
frustration. In the early days of our local support group we discussed the
difficulties of going out to a buffet. Mostly people had a sense of embarrassment and a few worried about their food allergies. In the end, we
decided to go out to a restaurant as a group and see if we could put some of
our fears to rest.
The night was a huge success. Those with food allergies came
with a guide and the rest of us just tried portions of everything. When we sat
down to eat, the fun was in trying to identify what we were tasting. There was
one dish that even our sighted guides couldn’t put a label to. When we asked
one of the waiters what it was that we were eating, he too had to retreat to
the kitchen to ask the cook.
These days, I try to remember this experience when I am
invited out to a buffet style meal. Fortunately, I don’t have food allergies
although there are foods that I prefer over others. I try to remember the fun
part of the experience and leave behind the frustration.
For me, there are still some holiday food events coming up.
Tomorrow, Lyle and I have been invited to yet another New Year’s luncheon and
then at the end of the month, there is still Chinese New Year to celebrate. I
hope that all of you have enjoyed the festive season with specialty foods
enjoyed with friends and family.
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