Miss Millie’s Fried Fish 

I smile when I see this picture of my granddaughter. She was only eight years old,  but she chose to order the whole fried catfish when we took her out to dinner. I was reminded of a funny experience my sister and I had when we were about her age. 

 

When I was a kid, my sister and I rode along with our grandaunt, Eva, when she ran her errands. Sometimes we made stops along the way to check on elderly relatives, visited church folks, or just to say hello to people sitting on their front porches. My sister and I weren’t too keen on these inadvertently stops. We were only interested in whatever destination Auntie had originally set out for. As I reminisce, I now see those out of the way stops were little life lessons. 

One of my favorite memories is a visit to Miss Millie’s house. She and her husband were an older couple who lived alone at the time. Their house was small and dark, but it was spotless and inviting. Auntie sat and chatted with them while my sister and I went outside to play in the clean swept, grassless yard. I don’t remember what we played, but we probably found sticks and drew pictures in the dirt. Or maybe we drew a hopscotch and made a game of that. The smooth, hard packed ground was perfect for drawing. Soon, however, Ms Millie called us inside. The aroma of fried fish greeted us. Miss Millie handed us each a small plate with a tiny fried fish; head, tail, and scales still attached. The appetizing aroma vanished as we stared at the tiny creature and it seemed to stare back at us. Recognizing our hesitation, Auntie reminded us to say “thank you”. We could tell she expected us to be gracious and eat what we were being served. So, as not disobey Auntie or insult Miss Millie’s generosity, we painstakingly ate the fish while trying to avoid the scales and the eyes that stared at us. 

I know now the lesson I was being taught; When someone offers you the only thing they have to offer, be gracious, kind, and accepting. Miss Millie was sharing what she had.  Maybe all she had. When people who have little else to share they share their food. Food is more than just sustenance. In this case it was an expression of caring.

Thank you Miss Millie for teaching me that being a gracious recipient is a gift you give to the giver. 

Timothy 4:4

For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving