Burnt Toast (#26)

Don’t ever forget to eat burnt toast when it passes your way, because you will discover, it is something spiritually delicious and filling. Burnt toast is foodforthesoul.

Read the Pilipino Version – https://eastwindjournals.com/2023/07/13/sunog-na-pandesal-burnt-toast-26b/

Author’s Note. An anonymous article entitled ‘Burnt Toast’ went viral a few years ago. I have expanded its touching message, and posted it in my blog site. It is going viral again. Whoever you are, wherever you are, thank you for touching our lives.

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‘True Tales’ Series – Volume 26

Updated June 15, 2023 – Archives tr381
By Bernie V. Lopez, eastwindreplyctr@gmail.com

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NARRATION BY JR. (Mom is cooking breakfast, while I sit and wait.) When I was a kid, my mom would prepare special breakfast every now and then. I remember one morning.

JR – Hmmm. The fried smoked milk-fish smells good. Another of your special breakfast, Mom.

MOM – It’s boneless. Your dad came home last night looking like a victim of a typhoon. He had a long hard day in the office.

Mom places the fried eggs and smoked milk-fish on the table.

JR – Mom, something is burning.

MOM – Oops, I forgot to put off the toaster.

She brings the black burnt toast to the table, and puts more bread on the toaster.

DAD – Good morning. Sorry, I’m late. I had a hard day yesterday. I can eat a cow.

JR – Good morning, Dad.

Dad takes the black burnt toast as hard as rock, puts some butter and jam on it, and makes a loud noise chewing it. When Mom sees Dad eating the bitter rock bread, she does not try to explain, because it i too late. He is already eating it.

NARRATION BY JR. I panicked. With closed eyes, I was waiting for Dad to scream and my Mom to cry.

DAD – (Smiling.) How was school, JR. Did you finish your assignment to write an essay about our family? (JR was too panicky to reply.)

MOM – Answer your Dad, JR.

JR – Oh. Not yet. I don’t know what to write.

DAD – Easy. Just say how great your mom and dad are. Always loving each other. No quarrels.

JR – But that’s not true. You always quarrel with each other. I can’t tell a lie.

MOM – Just tell them about your Dad’s work as an architect in a big prestigious company, admired by everyone. That’s true, right?

Dad takes another burnt toast and eats it with relish. Mom turns around, afraid to talk.

DAD – I can smell something burning.

MOM – Oh my. I did it again. More burnt toast. I seem to be nervous this morning. Sorry, honey. (She starts to cry.)

DAD – I love the toast, darling. It’s fine. (Mom stops crying and hugs Dad.)

After breakfast, Mom goes out to tend to the garden.

JR – Dad, did you really like the burnt toast?

DAD – (Hugging JR). Son, your mom had a hard day yesterday just like me. She went out for groceries, paid bills at the bank, weeded the garden, and so on. Besides, burnt toast never hurt anyone. You know what? Life is full of imperfect things and imperfect people. Why make our hard lives harder? Remember this, son. Avoid wars, especially at the breakfast table.

JR – I understand, Dad. Wars destroy the family.

DAD – I am not the best at hardly anything, and I easily forget birthdays and our wedding anniversary. But through all the years, I have learned to accept each other’s faults. Nobody is perfect – not me, not your mom, not you. Sometimes, it is good to debate. But when you start to feel it’s turning sour, change the subject. We have to learn to accept each other’s faults and to celebrate each other’s differences, to create healthy, growing and lasting relationships. I see that when I am patient, your mom also becomes patient. Patience is contagious, son.

JR – So is impatience, Dad.

DAD – If you learn that, we will always have a happy family.

It’s breakfast time once again. Mom is cooking eggs and corned beef.

DAD – Wow, corned beef. My favorite. How was your assignment, JR?

JR – Nothing special, Dad. I just go an A plus.

MOM – Give me five. What did you write about?

JR – I wrote about burnt toast and how it is foodforthesoul. You know, nobody’s perfect and accepting each other so everybody happy.

DAD – I smell something burning.

MOM – Shucks. I did it again. It’s all your fault, talking and talking while I cook. (She takes out the burnt toast and they have a feast.)

JR – You know what? Egg and corned beef are more delicious with black bread. (they laugh).

DAD – I have a request. From now on, let’s have burnt toast always. (more laughter).

JR – Yes, Mom. Burnt toast is foodforthesoul.

NARRATION BY JR. (As they eat an animated breakfast, laughing.) This is my dad’s prayer he taught us. I want to share it with you –

Lord, teach me to learn
to take the negative things in life
and lay them at your feet.
In the end, you are the only
one who can give us the gift
of lasting relationships,
where burnt toast is a big deal
as foodforthesoul

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More Inspirational Articles – eastwindjournals.com.

FOR THOSE WHO NEED HEALING, spiritual or physical (depression, anxiety, loneliness, terminal cancer, covid, diabetes, etc.) – say an online healing prayer with one or both healers below. Terminal patients have been healed in cyberspace. All you need is to have faith and to ask the Lord –

1) Father Fernando Suarez – www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UP3LHBgtIc.
2) Sr. Raquel Reodica, RVM – www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAZcwNimBSg

Download free e-book ‘Healing Stories of Sr. Raquel’ at eastwindjournals.com/2021/08/13/healing-stories-of-sr-raquel-e-book-free-download/).

Author’s book. At age 26, the author (eastwind) drifted through Europe, hitchhiking 25,000 kilometers for three straight years. He wrote a book on his adventures, Wings and Wanderlust. He learned deep insights that radically changed his view of life, which he wants to share with readers looking for themselves or wanting to catch the wind. More about the book (get a copy) = https://eastwindjournals.com/2023/02/25/more-about-the-book-wings-and-wanderlust/

Author’s Credentials. Blogger – ex-Columnist (Inquirer) – Healing Ministry – ex-Professor (Ateneo University) – Documentary Producer-Director (freelance, ex-ABS-CBN, ex-TVS Tokyo) – ex-Broadcaster (Radio Veritas) – Facebook “Bernie V. Lopez Eastwind” / Pages “Eastwind Journeys and Journals” and “Mary Queen of Peace”.

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