Jan 25 2009
Fried Eggs
I cannot fry an egg. Honest to Sam I cannot get the egg to flip without breaking the yoke. For years now I have been stirring the egg a little so it is well done and the yoke cooks. Michael is four and has never had a fried egg. I suppose in a way it makes me feel like I am less qualified to be a mother. After all, every mother should be able to cook up a hearty breakfast of traditional sorts, right down to the eggs.
This does not mean I do not attempt to fry up myself a traditional egg. In my mind I can envision sliding the spatula under the white, and in one swoop flipping it over to have a perfectly fried egg. Unfortunately somewhere from my mind to hand something goes astray. I manage to break each egg and on occasion make myself a royal mess of splattered yoke on the griddle, counter, myself, sometimes the floor. Now I am not a crazy cook flying around with utensils just flipping things frantically, so I have no idea how I manage to make such a mess. I find myself discouraged because I try so hard, but no matter which way I go, I cannot flip that egg without breaking the yoke.
Sometimes I wonder if this is how my son feels when he is trying to do something, and failing. He puts everything into it, and easily becomes frustrated. It is like he knows the piece should fit together, only he cannot seem to get his hands to work the way his mind wants it. It is like he has many obstacles similar to my fried eggs, but he keeps trying, no matter how many times the theoretical yoke breaks…
Someday after much practice I will get that egg to flip. Just like Michael works through each obstacle slowly but surely. I used to underestimate him, and have learned no matter how frustrated my son becomes, I cannot step in and do something for him. My son is smarter than most give him credit for, it is only hard to see that behind the frustration and emotional breaks that often cloud the little boy I know he can be… Michael needs to learn as much as possible on his own to be able to function in society. After all I will not always be able to take care of him, and I can only hope he has learned to keep trying and working through each problem placed before him.
