MOMENT ON THE LIPS

I was standing in the kitchen by a large unopened box of candy when my son Alex came into the room.

“Are you finally going to open that?” he asked, pointing to the candy.

I sighed. “Not yet.”

“Wow! You’re certainly showing a lot of willpower.”

“It’s not willpower at all.” I pushed the box away and walked over to the tissue box on the counter. “It’s this stupid stuffy nose!” Pulling out a few tissues from the box I turned and faced away from him while I blew my nose. “It’s been going on for weeks now.” Tossing the tissues in the trash I went to the sink to wash my hands. “Can’t taste it so why waste it.” I finished washing, turned the water off, and pulled a couple of paper towels off the roll.

Alex laughed. “Well, that’s a catchy saying! Can’t taste it so why waste it!”

“It’s true! But…” I tossed the paper towel in the trash and held up my finger as I began to laugh. “When I can finally taste again I’m going to go with the saying of ‘a moment on the lips forever on the hips!” I began shaking my head still laughing. “And I’m not going to care in the least because I just want to taste chocolate again.”

“Why don’t you go to the doctors?” Alex leaned against the counter as I went to the refrigerator and took out the water pitcher.

“What’s a doctor going to do?” I poured myself a glass of water then held the pitcher out to him. “You want a glass?”

“Sure.” Alex reached into the cabinet and grabbed a glass and handed it to me.

“It’s not an infection. It’s a stuffy nose that comes and goes all day long. My body just needs to fight it on it’s own.”

Alex took a sip of water before putting his glass on the counter top. “Hasn’t it been going on for weeks?”

I shrugged my shoulders. “Yeah, but I think it’s getting better now.”

“You’ve been saying that for a while.” Alex reminded me.

“It is getting better. But the recovery is just moving at snail’s pace.” I shrugged my shoulders again. “But this stuffy nose has come with a perk!”

Alex laughed. “Really? What’s that?”

“I went through the entire holiday season and didn’t gain a pound!” I grabbed my glass and went into the living room where my husband Steven was sitting on the couch.

“I wish I could say that.” Steven said as he moved over to make room for me to sit down. “I’ve got a couple of pounds to lose from the holidays.”

“I’ll be right with you once I can taste again.” I put my glass on the coffee table and sat next to him.

“Why don’t you go to the doctors?” He asked.

“I just asked her the same thing.” Alex said as he sat in the chair across from us.

“Listen you two. I’m fine! It’s a stuffy nose. In some ways it’s been a blessing!”

Steven looked confused. “A blessing?”

“It’s kept me out of all the treats that have come into the house these last few weeks.” I looked over at Steven. “I figure by the time I can taste again you’ll have gone through most of them and I’ll only have that box of chocolates to worry about.” I pointed to the box on the counter.

“Well,” Steven laughed. “I’m happy to do my part.”