36 of 71

Write now Article Tools

Tater Tot Casserole as a metaphor for "1st love..."

I remember walking into my house one night and smelling the most heavenly aroma imaginable. The scent filled every room, heightening my senses to euphoric proportions! I headed straight for the kitchen.

"Mom," I said. It smells so good in here. What're you making?

" A new dish," she said. "It's called Tater-Tot Casserole."

I didn't know what "Tater-Tot Casserole" was, but I couldn't wait to try it. My brothers and sisters agreed. We were so sick of chicken and the myriad ways my mom served it. She was a wonderful cook, but chicken was chicken, no matter how she dressed it up! "Tater-Tot Casserole" called for golden tater tots, hamburger, soup, and cheese. To us kids, it sounded almost exotic. We rushed to the table.

She brought the "Tater Tot Casserole" from the kitchen and set it before us. It looked heavenly. The perfectly browned Tots drew us in and won our hearts! Scooping a spoonful of the bubbling mixture created a rush. We couldn't wait to touch that first fork-full to our lips. "Tater-Tot Casserole" thrilled us.

"We love this, Mom," we said. " Please, make it again!"

She promised that she would.

She sure did. The next week "Tater-Tot Casserole" still tasted heavenly. It did the following week, too. By the time week 5 arrived, "Tater-Tot Casserole" was getting old. Chicken took on renewed appeal. Week 10 left us begging for mercy.

"No more "Tater-Tot Casserole," we pleaded. The love we'd felt, just weeks before, had waned. "Tater-Tot Casserole" didn't endure the test of time. We needed to make our break from the Tots!

This is where 1st love comes in. 1st love romances, especially adolescent ones, remind me of "Tater-Tot Casserole." They start out tantalizing. The passions are strong. The couple can't get enough of one another. Over time, though, the appeal wanes, just like "Tater Tot Casserole." One person in the relationship chooses to move on, but the other person refuses to let go. This jilted person may obsess for 10 or 20 or 30 years about a 1st love that got away.

I've observed that women have the hardest time letting go of a 1st love relationship. Maybe it's because women are more emotionally driven, whereas men are more physically driven. It's easy for adolescents to mistake passion for true love. That's why so many teenage marriages fail. 1st love rarely passes the test of time or develops into true love.

True love involves work and sacrifice. True love refuses to give up despite difficult circumstances.

• 1
• 2
• next page >>

Add your voice

Know something about Reflections: Lost love?
We want to hear your view. Write now!