Jason is at dinner with his parents, and nobody is enjoying themselves,least of all the father, who is at odds with his mother about his son's eating habits. he feels it wise that the child eat enough rough-age, and he orders the waitress to bring his son a plate filled with boiled cabbage, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts, all basted in lemon juice and seasoned only with salt and pepper--no melted cheese,no butter, not even dipping sauce--just lemon juice, salt and pepper.
This irritates the mother to no end. In her eyes, this as yet another example of her husband "doing it again"--trying to force his way of doing things on others, on his son, yet disguising it as"discipline." "I just wanna set him on the straight and narrow," he's known to say, when she tries to tell him to stop.Mother knows that learning such behavior is counterproductive to the kind of behavior her son needs to learn, to be able to stick to a diet and be happy." A diet that doesn't taste good is worthless," she'll answer back at the start of an argument with Dad.
However, on this day she's just not having it, and she texts a friend of hers to fake call the father, voice disguised as a patient who needs emergency dental surgery (Dad is a dentist.) Once he has left, she calls the waiter over to remove the brown plate of barely-seasoned vegetables from the table, then asking for a big bowl of fruit. She makes sure the waiter knows that she wants the best quality for her son. He brings back a lavender colored bowl filled with gorgeous blackberries, soft brown kiwi, super-ripe raspberries, juicy yellow pineapple and caramelized apples and bananas. On the side, also per mom's request, is a smaller bowl filled to the brim with cherry sauce for dipping or pouring.
The kid's eyes get wide, fill with glee, and he quickly grabs his fork and brings the bowl to his setting at the table, but before he can touch the first bite, she grabs his hand, holds it and talks to him. She has some advice for him. "Now son, I know you want to scarf it all down right now, but listen to me before you do. If this is the diet you choose, I'll be happy for every full stomach you have, but you have to stick to this diet no matter what anyone else tries to tell you. You can't let anyone tempt you or force you to eat like them, even if that person is your father."
Here, she leans in and motions for him to listen close. "See, I don't think he knows this, but I've caught him eyeing a bowl of fruit much like this some time ago. I saw him standing at the fridge, staring in and licking his lips, saying aloud to himself, 'Boy, oh boy, what I wouldn't give for just a taste of something sweet...it'd be nice to eat something that tastes good for a change.' But then he slammed the fridge door closed and walked out of the room, chastising himself for being so attracted to the wrong kind of food. He looked up toward the roof of the house and said, 'Forgive me, God, for straying from the diet you prescribed for me at birth. I promise I won't even look at it again.' This became something of a pattern for him, and he did this about ten times over the first five years we were married. I tried to ask him about it, but his face grew so red and his footsteps were so loud walking away from me that I didn't dare ask again. That may be about to change."
Jason's 15-year-old eyes are about as big as you can imagine at hearing this about his father. "Close your mouth and put your eyes back in your head," she teases and then continues. "Just one more thing about this diet. Eat slowly. Savor each bite as if you don't know when the next one's coming. You've got plenty of time to enjoy your fruit. Nobody's gonna take it away from you unless you let them. Now dig in.And try not to swallow too many seeds."
The son took his mother's advice and enjoys his fruit bowl, eating just enough to become sated. Afterward, at the request of his father later that night, because he's too tired to come back, they meet him back home. When they walk in the house, he asks his son, "Did you clean your plate like I taught you?" Son replies in the affirmative, and Dad is well-pleased. "I have a surprise for you. Close your eyes,birthday boy." Son obliges, and hears the sound of the fridge door opening and closing. "Open your eyes." In front of him on the counter is a big plate of cubed watermelon, salted for flavor enhancement. Son looks at Dad, tongue held briefly in cheek, and with a smile of exaggerated gratitude says, "thank you very much for this surprise. It sure looks tasty, but I'm afraid I'm still quite full from dinner. Can I have it later? Father smiles, slightly restless. "Suit yourself. But get it while it lasts. If it's here tomorrow night, I just might have a little taste myself." Much to father's confusion, son and mom look at each other and burst out laughing.
The moral of the story? This time, there's two: 1) You are what you eat,so eat what you are, and 2) a big bowl of fruit never hurt anyone.
P.S.After their laughter dies down, son kisses mom goodnight, who is still chuckling, but as soon as he's out of sight, she stops laughing immediately and stares at Dad in disbelief. Does he finally have something to tell her?
