This weekend we added eating steamed crabs to our Mother's Day Celebration. So there we were, gathered and ready to begin the Crabfestivus Maximus...the table was sufficiently covered with newspaper, knives and mallets were placed and at the ready, paper towels were stationed within reach of all participants, the air was filled with great anticipation. Arriving with the bag of a few dozen of the steaming crustaceans, I dumped them into the center of the table and the celebration began.Before opening my first delectable delight, I surveyed the table and wondered...who would be the first to cut themselves on a shell? I wondered...which one of us would forget about the spices covering our hands and get the old bay seasoning in their eye? Who was going to smash one of the claws and send shell and crab meat flying everywhere? And then I thought...what if I accidentally eat the part of the crab they call the "devils fingers?" It was at this point I stopped wondering because my son had just smashed one of the claws sending crab in all directions as if he had just detonated a roadside bomb.
Despite all of the hazards of eating crabs, we have so much fun as a family sitting around the table eating the treasures of the Chesapeake. I particularly love having my hands and feet swell up hours afterward from all of the sodium I take in from the spices on the crabs. We also have a tradition where I do my impersonation of Mr. T. as a crab saying, "I pity the poor fool who tries to eat me!" Then I rip off the crabs genitalia and throw it at one of my sons.
Looking back, we could be sitting around the table eating anything, it wouldn't matter...the real fun is just getting everyone together and spending time with each other. That's what I'm talking about. Sure, the crabs are good and who doesn't like cutting their hands on the shells and getting old bay in the eye?
So, looking back it was a fun Mother's Day. All the kids were home, we sat around the table and shared life, laughs and love...and Mom was happy. That's all that matters.
Be Well.
