‘Youth is wasted on the young.’ I think perhaps papayas are too.
I have been reckless with a good deal of fruit in my day. I
have carelessly eaten too many apples without any regard for them. I have
gobbled up all kinds of produce never giving them a second thought—not
wondering, if and when, the juice from a particularly sweet peach will run down
my chin again.
I should know better.
I am in my forties. I can no longer blame youth for my
complacency in this matter. I am left to point my finger at delusion. Clearly,
I consider myself immortal. I behave like a person that has all the time in the
world (and all the peaches too).
True and wise mortals don’t make this mistake. They savor
their meals, the company, the setting, the smells, the sounds and even the
silence. My father-in-law, Bill, was mortal. Never more so than when he was
fighting cancer.
Despite concern, Bill took one last trip to Hawaii.
At that point, he was frail, in a wheelchair and had lost most of his sight. The
world he experienced was courtesy of his other senses; he heard the waves
crashing on the beach, smelled the ocean air and felt the warm tropical breeze
on his face.
Even without seeing the place he adored, he knew when he was there. Immediately, his shoulders dropped, his face
relaxed and he seemed to melt into the rhythm of the island.
In addition to his love of Hawaii, Bill loved fruit. He was
a very fruity guy. Every morning before his rounds as a doctor, he ate a heaping
bowl of fruit with a cereal garnish. He never met a fruit he didn’t like.
The Hawaiian Papaya is uniquely delicious. You can’t mistake
the flavor after you have tasted it. It is impossible to ship it to the states without
losing its integrity. So, when Bill put a fresh slice of Hawaiian Papaya in his
mouth, his face lit up.
The next thing you know, he is asking for the phone. He
wanted to call a friend who was also battling a grave illness. Bill was hoping
he might try a little papaya. He even asked us to send his buddy a dozen.
Bill went bananas for those papayas.
He passed away only days after making it back. He died in
his home surrounded by his loving family. Funeral arrangements took place
shortly after. Mourning lasted much longer. The inevitably chaos of life
dominated our schedules once again. Crates of papayas were never shipped.
I know Bill wanted everyone to have a papaya moment of thier
own.
So whether it is this Papaya-Ginger Smoothie, or simply a
bowlful of cherries, eat something fruity and sweet. Then take a moment to
pause and savor that tiny delicious miracle in your mouth. If you are inspired,
share it with someone you love. It might qualify as a mortal sin not to.
*I am grateful to Jeanne
Horak-Druiff and her Cook Sister! blog for helping to remember and celebrate
cancer survivors and the loved ones who have lost their battles to cancer in “A
Taste of Yellow Tribute to Barbara Harris." Thank you for graciously hosting this month's Monthly Mingle virtual potluck.
Ah, the smell of freshly cut mint in the morning.
The papayas were pathetic.
We're going with frozen bits.
Lemons in light that is lacking.
Proceed gingerly.
A prepped pile of papaya smoothie.
Profile shot.
Pulse. Pour. Slurp. Savor. Share.
This one's for you, Bill.
From Martha Stewart
Ingredients
1/2 cups papaya (Solo or Mexican) chunks
1 cup ice cubes
2/3 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1 tablespoon finely chopped peeled fresh
ginger
1 tablespoon honey
Juice of 2 lemons
16 fresh mint leaves, plus 4 sprigs for
garnish
Directions
Refrigerate papaya until very cold, at
least 1 hour or overnight.
Blend papaya, ice, yogurt, ginger,
honey, and lemon juice in a blender. Add up to 1/4 cup water, 1 tablespoon at a
time, until mixture is smooth and thinned to desired consistency. Blend in mint
leaves. Garnish with mint sprigs.
No comments:
Post a Comment