Punchy Mommy Believes in Life

The other day, DH and I were lounging around talking when as he lazily picked through the mail. At the very bottom of the stack was the newest edition of Cook’s Illustrated, a beloved cooking magazine in our house. We wait with bated breath for the new edition to arrive and pour over its pages while noting which recipes we want to make.

When he came upon it, DH quickly opened the magazine and started reading. I was in the middle of telling him a story but soon realized that he was no longer pay attention so I moved to something else.

OH MY GOD, DH gasped. I knew it. I knew what he was reading the minute he grew quiet while he intensely gazed at one corner of a page.

DH and I always loved reading the Quick Tips section of the magazine. Readers send in tips and tricks that they use on the kitchen and if they pass muster, they are printed in the magazine. Most of the time, these Quick Tips are very creative and often helpful, but sometimes they are just downright silly. We’ve always said that we could come up with something better and when we do we would submit it. But, we never did come up with anything good enough to publish.

With all the laying around I was doing, I decided that I should use some of my time to come up with a Quick Tip. I remember laying in my hospital bed one day when I realized that I did something all the time that was simple yet creative enough to be published. I decided that I would submit my tip when I felt well enough.

Sometime between my third or fourth chemo cycles, I woke up with more energy than I had in weeks. That morning, I felt like I wanted to do something more than just taking a shower. I shuffled to the kitchen and started putting away the dishes. DH walked in, with his mouth agape. What are you doing? I hadn’t been out of bed in days. Just putting away the dishes. Then I’m going to take some pictures and submit my Quick Tip. He laughed, You really think they are going to publish your Quick Tip? Besides, you really need to save your energy. Go back to bed. We’ll think of a better Quick Tip and submit it another time.

I ignored him. My Quick Tip was good enough and I had the energy to submit it. I took several pictures of my Tip in action and went back to bed to draft the email. I attached my photos and hit send before falling asleep for the next three hours.

I hadn’t heard anything from Cook’s Illustrated about my Tip but I checked every bi-monthly edition that came after. And then, when DH sat on the living room floor with the Fall edition in his hands, with a huge smile on his face, I knew my Quick Tip had made it. I think I’m going to cry! He said.

I did cry a little. We both remembered the day I submitted it and the doubt that DH had. We smiled and laughed and hugged. It was a great memory among a sea of dark ones.