The Christmas Onion: A Parable - Sunday, Dec. 25, 2016

It all started last night with Bob's birthday spaghetti dinner. My work day was very busy and I left the office about 2:40 pm. 

When it came time to make spaghetti, I was carefully considering the quantities of different ingredients. I had 3-4 pounds of ground turkey and a huge onion. I could have put in half the onion, but decided to use the whole thing in the spaghetti.

The spaghetti turned out great. We also had steamed red cabbage and garlic toast.

Fast forward to this morning, 8 am. I'm getting ready to make wild rice stuffing. The recipe is on my computer, saved from when I made it for Thanksgiving dinner. I re-read the ingredient list and there it was: one cup of onions.

Aaaackk! I used up my onion last night.

Christmas morning

Before showering, with my hair all a mess, I hope above hope that Walmart is open this morning. Driving the mile and a half down the street, I see maybe ten cars out. 

The Walmart parking lot comes into view. Not a single car in the lot. I drove past the doors hoping, maybe, that they're open. It was a false hope.

Across the street was a 7-11 at the gas station. Long shot that they'd have an onion, but I gave it a try anyway. The clerk looked at me like I was nuts when I asked her if they had any onions. No, definitely not.

Strike two. What to do? What to do?

Then I remembered driving past a small Mexican restaurant, Las Palmas, that was open. I parked, went inside and sheepishly asked if they had an onion they could sell to me.

Photo taken the evening of Jan. 5, 2017
when we went there for dinner.

The first young lady, Linda, didn't know what to say. She asked someone else. 

I explained to Brenda that I needed to make stuffing, but I didn't have any onions left at home. I wondered if I could purchase an onion from them.

Brenda went to the back of the restaurant and came out with an onion. I asked her, "How much?" She said, "No charge. Merry Christmas." I am so thankful!

What a sweetheart! She made my day. 

We had been there for dinner once before. Now we will be returning more frequently. 

My wild rice stuffing turned out great. 

Lessons learned:

• Recheck your recipe for ingredients needed the day before a holiday
• Don't give up after two strikes.
• Think outside the box...stores.
• Don't assume someone won't help you.
• If you have a chance, repay the favor to someone else. (Pay it forward.)
• Treat other people the way you would like to be treated.  
• Give thanks when someone goes out of their way to help you.
• Spread the word about a good deed.
• Give your business, and refer others, to businesses that help people. 

Merry Christmas!