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Head to Walmart.com and discover Visio TVs. today. And we return to our American stories, and we love telling stories of our listeners on this show. Up next, a story from our regular contributor and listener, Lorna Jean Estelle. Today Lorna shares her story entitled Love.
will turn up. Let's get into the story. Take it away, Lorna. My mom was a master at putting on wondrous spreads at my family's holiday meals. Uh Thanksgiving and Christmas.
We would be privy to a feast fit for the finest of royalty. Tender, melt-in-your-mouth turkey, stuffing spiced just right. Mashed potatoes laced with ribbons of golden butter. Lumfrey gravy. And, of course.
Turnips. We never had a holiday meal without a feast of turnips. It was my Dad's all time favorite. and Mom never missed a special serving of turnips. From as early as I can remember.
Till Mom and Dad went into the retirement home. This was our family tradition. But shortly after moving into the retirement home, Dad passed away. And mom came to live with me. It was the end of November when she arrived, so I, being a serious Christmas fanatic, Was already planning our first Christmas together without my dad.
I vowed to carry on the family tradition. and serve mom a scrumptious Christmas dinner. Mom, I explained as we sat watching her favorite TV show Lawrence Welk. one evening in late December. I want Christmas to be special for the two of us this year.
I'm going to cook our traditional Christmas meal, just like you always did. I'll cook a turkey breast and have mashed potatoes and dad's turnips and all the trimmings. Mum nodded and smiled. as she kept her eyes glued to the TV. watching Bobby and Sissy waltz across the screen.
That would be lovely, dear. Mum was a lady of few words. Christmas Day came. and mum was seated patiently at my dining room table. decorated with my red and white patterned Christmas dishes, and a festa points at a tablecloth.
She smoothed out her teal patterned blouse and teal matching pants as she quietly observed me fussing in the kitchen. She'd worn her most favorite outfit for this momentous occasion. one I had bought for her the Christmas before. The rich teal shade Brought out the sparkle in her eyes. and the glow of her baby's soft cheeks.
Meanwhile, I was in the kitchen, red-faced and sweating profusely. Where I had been most of the afternoon, frantically trying to pull this dinner off while feeling about as frazzled as a last-minute shopper ten minutes before the stores were to close on Christmas Eve. How does one juggle the slicing of the turkey? mashing the potatoes and turnips. Stirring the gravy so it is lump-free and not burnt.
and keeping everything piping hot. at exactly the same time. I had lived on my own most of my adult life. Preparing a dinner meant punching a number into the microwave. and pressing start.
I was way over my head. but by the grace of God and a box of stove top stuffing. I managed to pull it off. Finally, with an air of importance, I brought the steaming bowls of our Christmas dinner to the table, and careful to place the prized turnips, mashed and laden with butter, near her. I gave mom a peck on the cheek.
told her I loved her. and sat down, ready to dig in. Uh Mom surveyed the feast in front of her and remarked glowingly. You've sure done a nice job, Lorna. Let's eat.
I'm as hungry as a horse. Mum and I started to load our plates up when I noticed she was not taking any turnips. Mom? Why aren't you having any turnips?
Well, I don't like turnips, dear, she replied matter of factly, as if she were telling me the weather. What? What do you mean you don't like turnips? I sputtered, not believing what I had just heard. My fork clattered onto the plate.
shattering the festive mood. Uh We've all eaten turnips at every holiday my whole life. You never refused to eat them, and you never told us you didn't like them. Mom's face softened, and she smiled. as she revealed her lifelong secret.
I did it for your dad. He loved turnips. And I loved him. Tears welled up. As I thought of this simple love story, that had played out every holiday meal.
in secret devotion and selflessness. unbeknownst to my brother and me, And who knows, maybe even my dad. I looked at mum with new admiration and respect. Mom didn't ever have turnips again that I was aware of. Dad was gone.
The turnips had served their noble purpose. As for me, I love turnips. And I continue the tradition of having turnips at the holidays to honor my dad and my mom. and their love for each other. I always buy the biggest turnip I can find.
And although cutting it up into chunks for boiling, is far from my favorite job. I think of mom doing this over and over all those years. probably with the same angst and dislike. Knowing this, I try to chop each piece, but With a daughter's heart full of love and gratitude for her parents. Every holiday.
I witnessed a simple gift of love. You just never know. where love Mm-hmm. We'll turn up. And a terrific job on the production, editing, and storytelling by our own Reagan Habib and Monty Montgomery.
And a terrific job also, and a special thanks to Lorna Jean Estelle for sharing this story. about her mother and father. and a Christmas tradition that she learned a whole lot about. After her father had passed, we'd also like to thank our regular contributor up on Kodiak Island in Alaska, Leslie Leland Fields. For turning us on to this audio, Borna Jean is a writing student of hers.
And what a story we learned indeed. This was that first Christmas without a loved one. We've all been there. This was without Lorna Jean's dad. And she did everything she could to prepare the very kind of dinner that her mom had prepared.
This was the daughter serving the mom. and the daughter loving the mom. And then it got time to eat the turnips. And it turned out, well, mom didn't want him. Mom didn't even like them.
And she said, Why did you eat them all those years? And she said, I did it for your dad. He loved turnips. And I loved him. And I looked at my mom, she said with new admiration and respect.
What a simple, simple sentence. And if we all lived that way. it would be a better world. A special thanks to Lorna Jean Estelle. Her love story.
involving of all things, Turnips. Here on Our American Stories. Uh The only thing between you and your best self is a start button. This Cyber Monday, explore the world with Nordic Track. From the peaks of Peru to the streets of Paris, every workout moves you somewhere new with iFit trainers leading the way.
The equipment's amazing, smooth, quiet, and those screens make it all feel real. Ready to start your next workout adventure with the number one treadmill brand in the U.S.? Shop NordicTrack.com for Cyber Monday savings. Nordic Track. Train anywhere, explore everywhere.
Then the space hamster flew his hot air balloon all the way to the bottom of the ocean. Where did that story come from? Book? Dream? Nope, it came from a conversation.
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Come for the Black Friday seasonal savings. Stay for the award-winning reporting. For a limited time, access to the Washington Post is just 99 cents. That's unlimited access to all of the posts for only 99 cents every four weeks. That's a great deal for the first year.
After that, it'll cost $12 every four weeks. You can cancel any time. But don't wait, this Black Friday seasonal offer won't be here for long. Go to Washington Post dot com slash iHeart and grab this deal before it's gone. That's Washington Post dot com slash iHeart.
Bring incredible sound into every corner of your home this holiday with the new WimSound smart speaker. Get high-resolution audio with a 1.8-inch touchscreen, smart control, and modern design in one powerful speaker for just $2.99. From quiet mornings to lively holiday gatherings, WimSound makes every moment sound better and feel better too. Get the gift of the season for the music enthusiast in your life or for yourself. WimSound, beautifully designed, effortlessly connected.
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Mm-hmm.
