Pastor Debbie's E-Spire - November 25, 2020

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I can’t taste or smell. I woke up in the night a little over a week ago and the cough drop I put in my mouth had no flavor. I thought, “Maybe it’s just old…” and didn’t worry too much. Until I woke up at my normal time and my brain kicked into gear and I still couldn’t taste it. I reached for the menthol and I couldn’t smell it. So I tried the clove cream—not that either. And I knew it must be coronavirus. I hope it wouldn’t be. The small group of people I told prayed that it wasn’t. But I knew it had to be…how else could I completely lose taste and smell overnight? Especially with no other symptoms. I had a telehealth call and then a Covid test. Positive. Not surprising.

It’s been 10 days and still no taste or smell. No taste is a little deceiving. I have the basics (if you remember that little anatomy picture with the parts of the tongue outlined….salty, sweet, sour….I have those. I can feel the burn of hot pepper, but no actual taste to know if it’s a serrano or a jalapeno (and yes, normally I can taste the difference).

In my family, the holidays are all about the food. I mean, we decorate and dress up and spend time together too, but the food is a BIG deal. People spend hours making pies (dough from scratch), sides, roasting meat, mixing drinks…all of it. And in some years we all get together. We used to be 21, then the cousins (that’s my generation) started getting married, and then having babies and we kept adding more and more. Now, if we were all to be together (without my grandmother or my mom) we’d be 52. And we would have a feast. So many memories are interlaced with food.

And this year, I can’t taste. I can’t taste ham, or turkey, or green bean casserole. I can’t taste weird jello salad or any of the made-from-scratch desserts.

I don’t say that for you to feel sorry for me, but so you’ll know I’m lamenting that this year. The things that make the holiday special and set apart are essentially numb. I can eat any of it that I want, but it’s not the same without the flavors. For all intents and purposes, I should probably eat greens all week, maybe even harken back to my childhood nemesis: liver and onions, I can’t taste it anyway!!

But, I’ve also been challenged to realize that a meal is more than the flavors. Textures and temperatures matter too (more than I used to think, actually, the crunch of a carrot, the hot creaminess of coffee with cream, the smoothness of chocolate pie, they’re all still there). Having the table set nicely with a bunch of flowers and a couple of taper candles, that matters too. That fosters the ambiance I grew up with, especially if I add in shining my grandmother’s silver serving dish to the work of the week.

That’s the long way of saying that even though things are drastically different and some things completely lost this year, there is still much to cherish and enjoy. Good music, making memories, being covered in flour by my little helpers, and laughing together, that’s also the heart of the holiday.

This Thanksgiving day will be different for lots of reasons. We didn’t get to go to New York as we had planned. We don’t get to gather with family (chosen or otherwise), at least one of us can’t taste. And so the holiday will be what we choose to make of it. In our house, it might be chicken soup to help everyone get better. Or it might be a turkey or a couple of slices of pie. It can be a beautiful table or TV trays. It can be the holiday mix on Pandora or a zoom call with family. It might be board games and puzzles, or a day out sledding.

The virus has taken and changed a lot for each of us this year, including, now, the holidays. But despite what is different, there are still things to relish. And, the lack of somethings will help us be more attuned to other things. I would invite you to savor the nuances, the details, and the things you can experience. Take it all in. Make it memorable. Maybe still buy yourself some flowers for the table, or break out the good dishes, even if it is just you or your household, make it special. Don’t count it all as a loss. Cherish what we you do have.

And please be safe. This virus is out there, often unbeknownst to us (remember, I was not knowingly in direct contact with someone, I mask where I go, I wash regularly, and I distance, and still, I got it). If you need help with food or a meal, we have resources for that too, just let me know and I’d be glad to help (I’m finally out of quarantine!).

Peace and blessings,

Pastor Debbie

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