When It's Still

I was sick today. I won't go into detail, but it hasn't been pleasant, and the room I've visited the most has been the bathroom.

I had some interesting moments at home though. Our local NPR station added a new show to their lineup, called The Splendid Table. You can guess at the content of course. It has a call in feature, where people ask anything from what to do with extra firm tofu (always marinate it first) to what to look for in a table wine.

When I listened, a man called in to proclaim his love for Japanese dumplings. They had another name, but he described it as a pork or beef dumpling, so that's what I remember. Anyway, his wife was a vegetarian, and wouldn't try the dumplings, so he wanted to figure out a way to modify the recipe so she could enjoy it as much as he did.

The host was helpful, with several variants from mushroom to sweet potato. After discussing it, she says to him, "Well your wife is very lucky to have such a special husband who would go to such special care for her." His voice adopted the tone which told you he was smiling when he said, "She's such a gift in my life, she's worth all the extra work."

It was like a "Sleepless in Seattle" moment. I'm sure the female half of the listening audience wanted to reach through the radio and hug him.

I wonder-- what did she do that he felt so gifted to have her in his life, that after a decade or so of marriage, he'd call in reinforcements to find a Japanese dumpling they could share, because he really liked this dumpling, but it just wasn't good enough unless he could share it with her.

I don't remember much of the rest of the show. I'm sure the culinary advice was interesting and helpful. What stuck with me was the sound of a smile in the voice of a man who was clearly made richer by the gift of another person's life. And he knew it. That's not just a splendid table, it's a splendid life.

--Laura