Creamed Corn
One year ago, Aunt Lois came to visit on her way back from her annual harvesting party. When she came, she filled up my kitchen with bundles of fry pies, vegetables, and frozen creamed corn.
During that weekend visit, we ate the fry pies. She took most of the vegetables home with her to Florida. But the frozen creamed corn stayed in the freezer. Throughout the year I would pull out a packet of the cream corn from the freezer from time to time. I would add it to soup. Corn bread. Creamed Corn at Thanksgiving.
I didn’t think much of the creamed corn.
Until yesterday.
Yesterday, I sauteed onions and garlic in a pan. I poured in the chicken stock, cumin and chiles. I paused when I reached in my freezer for a packet of the frozen creamed corn, because I knew it was the last.
I opened that packet, and squeezed in the mashed corn and all of its juices into the simmering pot, and stirred.
And the corn became a part my dinner, for the last time.
And for Lois, and her bundles of produce, and the creamed corn that I would not see in this lifetime…and for all of the bundles of gifts that she bestowed on her loved ones–past and present; I cried.
Because I knew this would be the best creamed corn chowder I would ever make.
