Good Seasons

After the divorce, my father didn't make salad dressing from the packets anymore. Mild-Italian was replaced with a suite of ranch, balsamic vinaigrette, raspberry vinaigrette, blue cheese and Catalina. Good Seasons was now Knorr, Wishbone, Newman's Own and Kraft. Despite the variety, they were all second class. One day my brother went out and bought the packets. With the same carafe that we used in the old house, he added vinegar to the V line, water to the W, poured the packet in and shook. He mixed again after adding the oil, then set the dressing on the table. Next to the commercial brands, mild-Italian was a beacon of what good salad dressing looks like. Grayish-brown with specks of black: the perfect balance of oil and water, vinegar and spice.

As my father approached the table, I eagerly awaited his decision. Immediately he chose the bell shaped carafe with the white pop-top. After generously applying the mild-Italian to his bowl of iceberg lettuce and quartered Roma tomatoes, he began to eat. "This is pretty good" I imagined him saying, but more likely he just ate in silence. I knew how much he missed that taste as he tried to enjoy it without guilt. I guess pretending it's just a dressing is easier than remembering.