The Tale of the Moldy Tortillas

Once upon a time, there was a determined hard-working Mom who just wanted to improve her life by eating right and exercising. She knew the path she chose to take was slow and long and that there would be many setbacks along the way. It wasn't the easiest route or the most direct one, but it was the right one for her.

One day, after not having done proper shopping in over three weeks, she was at a loss as to what she would prepare for dinner. Her husband wanted tacos and was willing to travel to the local (and often unreliable) market to buy all the supplies while Mama was still at work.

She had been good with her eating behavior all day and came home from work to prepare dinner, tacos made four different ways for four different people. Papa wanted all the fixin's, except for onions. He insisted on real ground beef in his tacos. Mama wanted all the veggies, including the onions, but opted for vegetarian refried beens as a beef substitute. Big sister likes the veggies, but no spicy onions and no dead animals were to go in her tacos. Little sister was the pickiest of all, eating only refried beans topped with melted grated cheese and sandwiched in a tortilla. It was mostly a quesadilla with beans in it.

Mama put on her comfy clothes and removed her binding undergarment and footwear. Little Sister helped Mama cook the meat, stir, pour in liquids, open cans and even grate the cheese. She was eager to chop lettuce too, but at 6 years old, Mama still doesn't want her handling cutlery. Soon all the food was prepared, including the rice and beans. As Mama opened up the package of tortillas to warm them, she made an alarming discovery. All the tortillas were moldy! Every last one.

She managed to stifle the anger that was beginning to well up inside her as she politely asked Papa if he would mind returning to the store to exchange the moldy tortillas for something edible. Papa informed Mama that he had just consumed a large glass of red wine and had no intention of driving a car. Mama was getting a little more upset as she realized that she would have to get dressed and return the tortillas herself, all while dinner was sitting on the stove getting colder by the minute.

After quickly returning to the store with the moldy tortillas purchased only hours before, Mama had visions of karate chopping heads and kick boxing anyone within reach. Upon entering the store however, her face wore a modest smile, hiding the inner monster within. One of the workers was a friend and Mama approached her first and explained the situation, emphasizing that dinner was cooked and WAITING on the stove. Her friend told her about the secret stash of "GOOD" tortillas that are not located in the tortilla section, but rather in the milk section. Of course! She then directed Mama to go to a different counter to be assisted by someone else, a young worker with a sweet face, who appeared way too nice to be chewed out.

Mama's heart sank as she once again put on her happy face and polite cap and repeated her story. She did ask why tortilla packages don't come with expiration dates and was given no answer. He attempted to escort her to the tortilla section to find a suitable replacement, when she interrupted him and asked about the tortillas in the milk section. "Oh those tortillas! Well, they are really good, but they are cheaper." He said it like that was a bad thing. After arriving at the milk department, Mama was astonished not only to find stacks of obviously fresh tortillas, but also, expiration dates printed on the back. They were dated a month out. She collected her new package and received her 33 cents change as she drove home mumbling about the dollar in gas she consumed getting to and from the store.

She called ahead to Papa and asked that there be a glass of red wine waiting for her when she returned home. Once again, she changed into her comfy clothes, removed her footwear, and finished serving up dinner. She was so happy to be past this little setback that she really enjoyed her tacos and wine. Unfortunately, her good judgement had gone out the window and she was looking to extend that good feeling she felt entitled to. Even though she was full, she had another round of tacos and another glass of wine. After that, the evening was lost. She nibbled on Sees milk chocolate balls and whatever else she could find in the cupboards (two granola bars). It was a total loss.

The next morning was not a usual "exercise morning" because Mama goes to Rotary at 6:30 am. However, the guilt must have woken Mama up early, so she got on her elliptical machine and pedalled faster and harder than ever before, almost to the point of exhaustion. Good thing there was only time for a short workout.

Now she is back on track and optimistic that today will be better than yesterday. She realized that sometimes we learn more from our mistakes than we learn from our successes. Don't let a package of moldy tortillas ruin your day.

May your day be full of successes!