A Wonderful Picnic, with Thanks to the Lady in Purple

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Last night, as the RCMP Sunset Ceremonies were just ending (more about that on Monday) a lady in a purple jacket tapped me on the shoulder.

“I can see you’re a good mom,” she said.

I felt startled and must have looked confused.

“I saw that picnic your kids were eating, and it was great. I know it was a lot of work to put together—I’ve done picnics too—and it was great. Good for you. You’re a good mom.”

With a big grin, I thanked her. The evening had just gotten that much better.

So what was this picnic that inspired the kind lady?

• Sausages, still warm from the grill, and mustard.
• Carrot sticks, celery sticks, and some dip.
• A big box of strawberries.
• Water.
• Two bags of potato chips.

These were finger foods, so we needed only small paper plates and lots of napkins.

It was a very simple meal, but we all loved it and were nourished by it.

• Because we avoided the concession stands, we had no gluten worries or sore tummies and saved a bundle of money.
• Because all of our food was finger food, we had essentially no clean up and our garbage almost fit into the empty strawberry box.
• Because we had treats—strawberries and chips—the kids were perfectly content and totally satisfied. So were we, although my husband did enjoy some Dutch licorice as well.
• Because it was so simple and so yummy, we’ll probably use a similar picnic menu again.

And because of the dear lady in the purple jacket, I realized that it was, indeed, a wonderful picnic. A highlight. A memory, even. I would never thought of it that way without her encouragement. She helped me see an ‘ordinary’ picnic with grateful eyes. May God bless her.