Descent…. :

How a family of 5 survived for 3 weeks with a mini fridge.

Part 3:

Cold as Ice, Willing to Sacrifice Our Love

Three weeks. 

At my age, three weeks really should drift by just like a feather in the breeze. Most of the time, it would. But I have invested vast amounts of conscious thought and energy and effort to the art of eating. Having been obese for a year and overweight for more than five years, I well know how to occupy my mind with edible inspiration. Take away my ability to store enough meals and snacks for a week, and I become a beast. Take away my family’s ability to whimsically pop something in our mouths without a second thought, and you may as well walk into a house on fire. We had cabin fever and claustrophobia, even though the size of our living space did not change at all—the only thing that had changed was the size of our cold food storage space. Guess that’s why they say, “Home is where your heart is.” Our hearts must have been in the refrigerator, and the refrigerator was shrinking. For more than a week longer than we had expected.

Finally, the morning arrived for our new delivery. Everyone in the house was up early. The kitchen was cleaned. The bar stools, sofa, and breakfast table were moved to clear a path from the front door to the kitchen. When the call came, it was like I was still sleeping. I watched the truck from the front of my subdivision until it rounded the first curve, and then I held my breath until I saw it coming down my street. The sound of voices was like my head was under water, like the sound just before waking from a dream, when you realize you will be angry if you have to let it go. OK, wait six hours for something...don't apply cleansers directly to the surface...blah blah blah...sign here...be sure to give us a good rating.... Hey, guess what? I'm awake, and I have a new, working, normal-sized refrigerator! Still under the manufacturer's warranty.

Well, we made it. None of us developed any eating disorders, none of us lost any weight, and none of us tried to eat each other. In fact, once we learned to accept the time line, our bodies adapted as well. We began to purchase more fresh fruit (only enough for 2 days) and to eat it while it was still fresh. We began to think in terms of our immediate needs, and not to greedily consume more than we need just because it is there (so easy to learn when it wasn’t there anymore). When we were first thrust into this situation, I thought it would be one of the worst trials we ever had to endure. Looking back, we all appreciate the revolution in our eating (and shopping) habits that was brought on by this unexpected loss.

On the subject of shopping…

The day the new refrigerator was delivered, my children and I spent five hours shopping for food! Four hours at Wal-Mart, and an hour at Publix. We had to replace all of the basic staples that belong in the refrigerator—condiments, dairy products, fruit juices. We also had to shop for our weekly meals and snack foods. It was the first time I had enjoyed grocery shopping in over twenty years! My favorite part of the day was consulting my sketches at home to organize the shelves for optimal convenience. Now my refrigerator is as orderly as one you would see on television. I even organized some of the items in the pantry! I am so proud of my efficient kitchen, which never would have been born if my less-than-two-years-old Whirlpool [lemon] refrigerator had not died. Let’s eat!