“Must not worry.”
I found some comfort from repeating this mantra to
myself.
It all started so unceremoniously. A forgotten name, a story
repeated more than twice in a short span of time, a misplaced list. So easily and lightheartedly brushed aside
and attributed as part of the aging process.
There was a debate on whether a medical explanation should
be sought. But we were all in denial.
For really, what was the point. There
still is no cure for memory loss.
And so it was for my mother.
And for us, her children. We laughed.
We cried. We moved on as we left
matters up to time.
Then that time came and my mother herself realized she
needed to face this memory eating monster head-on.
And we, her children, planned with her, stood by her and held her hand
as we moved forward.
Moving forward, my mother has recently completed the necessary medical rounds— tests and
scans.
The jury is still out on her case.
In the meantime, I should take in the positive and must not worry. She
is still mommy.
---xoxoxox---
While visiting with my sisters, M and V, I had
the opportunity to watch our mother cook up meals for us. again She started to apologize for her forgetfulness
and hesitated. She felt she would mess things up. But these negative thoughts vanished as everything
came together so naturally. A chopping
board, a sharp knife, a good pan and her confidence was back.
She outdid herself with her Sotanghon Pancit (recipe here) ,
Chicken Asado (recipe here) and Pork Sinigang (recipe here). She also did a green peppers and beans with ground
beef dish. This was something new and
delicious for me. I quickly took notes so I won't forget. And thought it worth passing on to you.
Mom’s Sauted Green Peppers and Beans with Ground Beef
1/2 k ground beef
3 strips of bacon, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, cored and sliced into strips
A handful of green beans (about a cup), string removed and
chopped diagonally
Splash of worchestershire, perrins, or soy sauce—whatever you
have on hand
Salt and pepper
Place the bacon in a pan and render the oil. Remove the bacon and set aside. In the bacon oil, saute the garlic and onions then add the beef. When beef is done, return the bacon and throw in the peppers and
beans. Stir quickly and season with seasoning sauce, salt and pepper. Remember: Do not overcook
or your veggies will be mushy.
Goes very well with steamed rice.
