When I was a kid, my mother would get upset with me almost every night at dinner time. My father never handled those disciplines, and he travelled a lot. I was always the last one at the table. It was impossible to choke down the liver with fried onions or the giant rare steak that my parents delivered at almost every meal. Well, as a child it sure felt like every meal...
I would sit for hours waiting to be excused from the table or to be forgiven (I never really knew which one). Mealtime was always a struggle for me, I was an incredibly picky eater and to some degree I still am. My mother repeatedly told the stories of children starving in other countries and that some nights she and her family would have rabbit and other nights venison. My mother was not a fussy eater, she loved things like escargot, creamed eggs with asparagus, kidneys... all of it. I did feel bad for the starving children, I would have gladly given my supper up each night.
I knew the minute I was old enough I would never eat any of those dreadful meals. My daughter grew up being asked to try something before deciding not to eat it. I never forced her to “clean her plate”. I knew if she were hungry, she would eat. She grew up eating lots of raw broccoli dipped in ranch dressing, steamed clams, and poached eggs, along with the usual kid friendly foods. She is now what I would consider a “foodie”. She is way more into food than I ever was. She loves cooking, going out to dinner, learning new recipes and genuinely enjoys the nutritious side of food—always opting for organic or local, seasonal foods.
As an adult I have travelled to truly poor countries where people are starving. My mother was not incorrect in telling me those stories as a child. I wish she could have shown me a photo because pictures really are worth a thousand words. I am always careful not to throw away food and I always remember how extremely fortunate I am to have food or even a table to put it on.
I imagine this vixen is happy to be able to provide a bounty of food for her large family. None of the kits snubbed their nose at the squirrel breakfast-they were extremely happy to have it.