Oatmeal for Breakfast

I found some instant Quaker oats in one of the cabinets, and made myself some oatmeal for breakfast.

Wow it was good. And brought back memories. Good memories.

Mom used to make us oatmeal as kids. From Quaker oats in a round box. She served it hot, and told us, smiling, "it'll stick to your ribs." I don't think when I was very young I knew what this meant, but I knew it was a good thing. She meant, of course, that it would provide a strong, long-lasting source of nourishment that would carry us through the morning. But for me it was good and hot, and she served it with a little bacon mixed in, and butter, and milk on it if we wanted it (I usually wanted a little), and brown sugar. How I loved that brown sugar. When she was done with one of those round Quaker oats boxes, she gave us the box to do with as we liked. I'd put little soldier figurines in it, or any number of other small collections of toys, and sometimes it would end up being a fort, or something else festooned and made fun by the imagination of a child.

Good memories. Not only of the warmth of the oatmeal, of course, but of the warmth of the love with which it was served.

I miss you so much Momma.