During the holidays I love hearing from old friends, voices from my past; Charlotte, a “mother’s helper” who lived with us for her senior year of high school and now has grandchildren of her own; Tom and Betty, who taught with Bob in the ’50’s and shared our laughter and tears.
They were the short term relationships, the layers of love that add flavor and richness to our lives. The long term relationships were the foundation.
I thought of the analogy as I was making my seven layer taco dip for a New Year’s Eve party.
First layer
First I selected a pretty Christmas dish to present it in. As I spread the thick glob of refried beans on the platter, I thought of it as the foundation, a healthy protein, like the long-term relationships of our lives: our birth family from whom we learn the power of love when mommy can kiss a hurt away, daddy can keep off the boogie man, and God listens to our prayers.
A life of faith gives us the firm foundation on which to build an extraordinary life.
Those relationships endure throughout our life until one-by-one we bury them: father, mother, brothers, sisters.
Second layer
The second layer is the guacamole, reminding me of my next long-term relationship: my husband.
That’s where the color, spice, and more healthy vitamins come into the taco dip with the avocodos, lemon, and garlic.
Talk about long-term relationships! How about 63 years of marriage and 10 kids?
Bob and I truly lived by our vows: unto death, and in those 63 years, our relationship evolved through many changes as we matured and acquired new responsibilities. All of life is dynamic. The avocado becomes the guacamole and is spread over the refried beans.
Third layer
The third layer of the taco dip is the sour cream mixed with a package of taco seasoning and a little mayo. It represents my 10 kids, and that’s a lot of spice.
I remember a friend, learning that she was pregnant with her fifth child, commenting to me, “What bothers me is the INEVITABLITY of pregnancy.”
“That’s right, my dear. From the moment of conception to the death, he is yours.”(Now that’s a long term relationship!)
Nothing is more life changing than the birth of your first child, and then each of the ones that follow. It’s the richest layer and the spiciest. Sprinkle in a few grandkids and great-grands and yummy!
Other necessary layers
The other layers are sprinkled over the sour cream: chopped green onions, sliced ripe olives, chopped fresh tomatoes, shredded cheddar and Swiss cheese. They are the friends we make along the way: the co-workers, the committee members, the bridge players, the health care workers, the visiting angels, and servers of all kinds. They add flavor, security, and color to our lives. Delicious!
And that’s just the appetizer. Can you imagine the main course?
“Grandmom” likes hearing from other senior citizens who enjoy aging at [email protected]