Unplanned Laughter

I was all prepared to host this month’s gathering of music sharing and lunch. The featured salad included smoked chicken from a top notch barbecue restaurant, and our order had already been picked up. I hard boiled the eggs and cooked the bacon the night before, the table was set, and dessert was baked and ready to go. I felt at ease with not much left to do. One hour before guests were to arrive, I headed downstairs to retrieve the chicken from the refrigerator. When I opened the door, it opened too quickly and my calmness instinctively drained away. The door had not completely sealed, so the food inside was not as cold as it should have been. Not thinking straight, I immediately took two large bites of the pulled chicken; if I got sick within the hour, I would not serve it. After swallowing, I felt embarrassed for even thinking about serving it. And it was an odd feeling doing something with the knowledge that it could cause me to become sick. I quickly called on our son to help, and he hurried to the nearest store to pick up fresh chicken. Not quite what I had anticipated just before receiving company. I shared the story with my guests and we all had a few laughs. Sometimes my preparations don’t quite go as planned, but when I’m able to laugh with others about my mishaps, I can restore my sense of peace.