Fortune Cookie

Sometimes Chinese fortune cookies are very profound and hold some truth to them.  Other times we just wish they did.

Our family often went out to lunch on a Sunday afternoon.  It was a nice treat for Mom, who usually cooked all the meals at home.  I guess she really needed the break on one particular Sunday, because she was having a hard time with everything.  It was one of those days.  She tripped (no surprise there) and nearly fell, being saved by the quick reflexes of Dad.

Then as we were about to enter the Chinese restaurant that Mom had chosen, she somehow dropped her purse right in front of the door, and, because it was Mom, the contents spilled all over.  And naturally, this happened right in front of a restaurant full of curious diners.  Dad to the rescue again.  He helped her retrieve all her belongings, and then made sure he zipped up the purse before handing it back to her.

Once seated at the table, I thought we might be safe from any more of Mom’s antics.  Wrong.  Mom picked up the teapot, looked inside and decided that the tea needed stirring before she would pour it.  But rather than stir the tea with a spoon, or even a chopstick, like a normal person, Mom thought it would be faster and just as effective to stir the pot by shaking it.  Wrong again.  We all just stared in bewilderment as we watched Mom pick up the teapot, look inside and then shake tea all over the pretty tablecloth.  She had forgotten about the spout.  Tea went everywhere.

Of course, Mom thought it was hilarious, and couldn’t stop laughing.  The rest of us kept an eye on her for the rest of the meal, careful to not let her do anything that might result in more messes on the table, which just incited more giggles from Silly Mom.

Finally, the end of the meal arrived with our fortune cookies.  Mom opened hers, read silently, and then started shaking, her face turned red, and she looked like she would explode.  Unable to articulate what was so funny, Mom handed her fortune to Dad to read.  This was definitely a case of the fortune being something that Mom might wish for, but knew in her heart was not going to come true.  It read:

“You will have better luck in the spring.”