Kate and I have been married fifty-six years, and I can’t recall a time when we have sat down to breakfast together except when traveling or the few occasions when she has attended a YMCA breakfast with me. The reason is simple. I like breakfast, and she doesn’t. In addition, I have always gotten up earlier than she does. When she was working, she used to have some juice and yogurt just before leaving the house. She continued this after retiring until we started going to Panera for a muffin. Since she started sleeping late almost a year and a half ago, she hasn’t been eating breakfast regularly because we go directly to lunch.
I am not expecting that routine to change, but yesterday morning was quite different. She wanted to get up to go to the bathroom at 5:30. She was back in bed in twenty minutes. I stayed up and got ready for the day. As I was about to dish up my scrambled eggs, I looked at the video cam and saw that she was about to get out of bed. I went to the bedroom and found that she was wide awake and quite cheerful. I assumed she wanted to go to the bathroom again, but she said, “Do we have anything to eat?” I told her I had some scrambled eggs and some granola but no milk. She wanted the eggs. That was quite a surprise, I can’t remember the last time she had scrambled eggs. The only times I recall her having eggs at all is when we have been out for breakfast, and then it is usually pastries, pancakes or Eggs Benedict.
I walked her to the kitchen, got out two plates, and split the eggs between us. She enjoyed every bite and chatted too. I didn’t notice any of her usual grogginess. Having given her half of my breakfast, I needed a small dry serving of granola, but it was a special occasion. It’s a rare day when we have breakfast together.
