The Finer Things In Life

Last week my mother and I went to C.E.'s (my brother) house to visit. Its only a 12 hour drive, so the conversation with my mother was lively and fun as we meandered down the long highways. Once we got there, it was late in the day so we just hung around C.E.'s house the rest of the night.

I had fun with my nieces and nephews and got to visit with my brother and his wife. During the course of the long weekend, we did a variety of things, played games, watched movies on his real home theater and did a little wandering around town.

Our conversation was about the upcoming holidays and what the family plans are going to be for Thanksgiving and Christmas. The siblings live so far apart we have to plan in advance to try to make it so we are together at least at one of those holidays. Then we some how got onto what we were all going to do on New Years Eve. To which mom said she always wanted to try some Russian Black Caviar. Every year she says she is going to do do it, but then never does.

C.E. spent quite a good amount of time in Russia some years ago working in the oil fields of Siberia. So he opens his refrigerator and pulls out a can of caviar. That's the can in the picture. He goes through a small disaster of trying to get it open because it seems the can opener he has does not do that type of can. Once open, everyone sniffed it and tasted it. My nine year old niece threw up when she tasted it. Eventually, the can was placed on the front porch for the enjoyment of cats and any other wild animals that would come along.

Don't get me wrong, the caviar was not spoiled. But, it certainly wasn't up to its famed quality and taste. Caviar is supposed to be one of the finest things a person can indulge in. C.E. bought many cans while he was in Russia, and that was the last one. He had been saving it for a special occasion. This was the occasion he was looking for. It has been in the refrigerator for nearly 12 years. Even though the can is made of metal, the moisture still leached out of the can. Some of the caviar had lost some of its color and the flavor was just plain fish. I'm quite certain that if the caviar had been eaten when it was fresh, or even canned within a reasonable amount of time it would have been delicious.

That's how life is for some people. They find the finer things in life but try to save them for something special. In the end, the finest part of the delicacy, day, or person fade and disappear before anyone gets to enjoy it. Sometimes saving things for a special occasion is the greatest waste of all. We should enjoy the special occasions as the opportunities arise. Taking my mother to see my brother wasn't just something a daughter does for her mother, it was a special occasion which I will treasure the rest of my life.