Leftovers...and a Memory

Lots of leftovers this weekend. Mostly vegetables, stuffing, and potatoes. Not too much turkey, surprisingly. We'll eat a meal or two, and then I'll make turkey soup. To a large stockpot, I'll add the turkey carcass, an onion, a few cloves of smashed garlic, some carrots and celery and cover with water. Simmer for a couple of hours, and then add a cup (or two) of white wine. Simmer a few more hours. The wine brightens the flavor of the soup; cooked poultry bones make a weak broth.

Turkey and trimmings will forever remind me of the hospital. DD17's protocol involved hospitalizations during chemo cycles, so she could be monitored for adverse side effects. Our hospital provided rooming-in for parents, so hospital food was part of my diet for a year. I never wanted to leave and find a restaurant. It just didn't seem that important, and I didn't want to wander around the city by myself. Mostly, I didn't like to leave her side. So if I didn't think to bring food, I'd have to eat hospital food. Parents were given vouchers to use for meals, and there weren't a lot of places to eat in the hospital. Usually, I just ordered off the patient menu.

Frequently, I ordered the turkey dinner. It was bland, and bland was comforting. It also gave off a less offensive odor to DD17...I had to be careful that what I ordered didn't contribute to her nausea. Or I had to eat it in the hall outside her room. Those were lonely, sad meals...the lights would be dimmed, the t.v. on low, and DD17 heavily medicated with antimetics while receiving chemotherapy intravenously. We were in a cocoon, waging a silent battle with the foe.

You'd think I'd really dislike turkey now. After eating it so often that year, you'd think I'd swear it off. Truthfully, I never liked it all that much to begin with. If I had to choose a poultry dish, I'd probably pick chicken. Now I guess turkey's resumed it's usual place, the once or twice-a-year meal. But I know, for me at least, it will always symbolize something more--comforting sustenance during a very difficult time.