Dad's Answer for the Most Important Meal of the Day

Some things could be counted on as sure as the sun would rise every morning. Grandma Peterson would never say goodbye after a telephone conversation, Grandma Doty would always insist we eat the apples off of the ground first, and Mom would always make breakfast before sending her children off to school. Like the Earth circling the sun or the ebb and flow of the tides, we took it for granted: Our rights included breakfast.

That’s why when Mom was called as an early morning seminary teacher, she nearly said no. She still had a child at home, someone who needed a good hearty breakfast before school. Who could do that if she weren’t there in the morning?

“Dee Ray, you have to promise me that you will get up and make sure Laurel has breakfast before she leaves for school every morning.”

I’m not sure how much faith she actually had in his abilities to accomplish this feat as he was not a morning person nor did he possess any culinary skills, but he did give her the Boy Scout’s Honor and that meant something. Her first day was not, however, free from worry, and rightly so.

Just as I was ready to leave the house, Dad came stumbling out of their bedroom dressed only in his underwear and without his toupee. Still trying to get his eyes to focus, he firmly said, “Wait! I promised your mother I’d feed you breakfast.” He had opened the refrigerator and was examining the inside.

“Dad, I don’t have time. Besides, I’m not hungry anyway.”

“No! I promised your mother,” he said, eyes darting around the room. “Here! Eat a cookie.”

Nothing sounded more revolting than a heavy dose of pure sugar at eight in the morning. “No thanks. I don’t want a cookie.”

“Eat it.”

“Dad, I—“

“They have eggs and milk and flour. That’s all breakfast stuff.” He was getting desperate.

“…Okay, thanks for breakfast, Dad.”

“Have a good day,” he said as I walked out the front door holding the chocolate chip cookie in my hand. Mission accomplished.

Turns out there were some other things we could count on: Dad would never do his best work in the morning, and he’d never make breakfast, but he’d always try to keep his promises.