Menu:

Waffles

A Story for All Ages by Rev. John Marsh

One morning a little girl asked her father if they could have waffles for breakfast.

waffle“If it is waffles you want”, said her father, “then it is waffles you shall have.”

“Waffles are my favorite.” She said.

“I know!” said her father.

But when the father picked up the morning paper, he saw that his favorite sports team had lost the night before, and he had been sure that they were going to win. So he sat down to read how it could have happened. And when he looked up, he saw that he did not have enough time to make waffles. It was too late. He would make oatmeal instead. Oatmeal wasn’t waffles, but it was ok.

When the girl came downstairs she was disappointed. But she didn’t say anything. She ate the oatmeal in silence. Her father did not even seem to notice she was there. He was still reading the paper.

She never asked for waffles again.

Years went by, the girl grew up, and became a young woman and got married to a handsome young man.

They were as happy as two young newlyweds ever were.

Then one morning, the handsome young man asked his wife if she would like for him to make waffles for breakfast.

Her face went pale, and then it turned red. Tears welled up in her eyes. Her mouth quivered, and then she screamed:

“Yes! I would like waffles! But you can’t fool me again! I know how it is with you! You are planning to serve me oatmeal!”

“Eggs,” said handsome young man, as he backed out of the bedroom, “I will go and make some scrambled eggs.”

The young woman wondered at her own outburst.

But the young man, as he gazed at his wife across the breakfast table, felt he knew exactly what the problem was. This beautiful woman, that he loved so much, had gone completely bonkers. She was just nutso. For weeks afterwards he looked for other signs of craziness, but none appeared.

Without saying anything, he gave away the waffle iron they had been given as a wedding gift. He wasn’t sure who had given it to them. He never mentioned waffles again.

More years went by. The young man and young woman had a baby girl of their own. And when that girl was six years old. The family planned for her to spend four days with her grandparents. This was going to be the longest time she had ever spent away from her mother and father. Everyone was a little nervous, but also excited.

When her parents came to pick her up, she had a big smile on her face.

“I had the best time ever!” she said, “and you know what? Grandpa made waffles for breakfast every morning! And now waffles are my favorite food! Grandpa says they used to be your favorite food too! How come we never had them at our house before? Grandma says that she and Grandpa gave you a thing to make waffles in when you got married!”

Then the young man turned sort of white, and looked nervously at his wife.

The young woman remained calm as she said to her daughter, “you know, I think it is time your grandfather and I had a talk about just that.”

And young woman and her father went inside the house. While the grandmother, the young man, and the little girl sat outside and played a game under a tree. Whatever they were talking about it seemed to take a long time.

When they came out of the house, the grandfather, and the young woman were both smiling in a quiet sort of way, and the young woman was carrying the waffle iron, the old family waffle iron from so long ago, that still worked perfectly fine.

After that the little girl and her family had waffles at least once a week. And the young woman also kept a supply of frozen waffles from the grocery store in the freezer. So if they ever ran out of time, they could just pop one in the toaster. The little girl hated those frozen waffles, they didn’t taste anything like the waffles her mother made. She wondered why her mother didn’t just make oatmeal instead. Oatmeal wasn’t waffles, but it was ok.