Tuna Melt

Michelle Feinberg

All throughout high school, I always came home late from school because I had to practice until 6:00 at night. I would come home really hungry and want something quick, hot, and delicious. My mom, not being much of a chef, wouldn't ever have a meal prepared. Being too tired to make something good, and not wanting to settle for cold cereal, my mom came up with a great idea. Something simple, filling, and delectable: a tuna melt!

After the first time she made it, I wanted one every night after practice. I ate them about two times a week from tenth grade to my senior year. My mother and I soon realized how much the discovery of the tuna melt would come to aid our family. During my junior year, my aunt and her family came to our house to celebrate Thanksgiving. My aunt was about 6 months pregnant. As we all gathered around the table for our Thanksgiving meal, my aunt convulsed at the sight and smell of the turkey, and needed it to be kept on the other side of the table.

My mother and I felt bad that my aunt couldn't eat, so we went to the kitchen together to see if we could whip something up that would appeal to her. Suddenly it dawned on me. �A tuna melt!� I exclaimed. My mother was skeptical at first, thinking that it would make her even more nauseous. I figured if it made her feel sick, I would just eat it, since I'm not that big a fan of turkey anyway.

My mom joined the rest of my family at the table while I whipped up my �award winning tuna melt�. I placed it in front of my aunt. We all waited in silence for the moment of truth, as she raised the sandwich to her lips. She liked it! It was a Thanksgiving miracle. I couldn't help but give my mom the �I told you so� look as I basked in the glory of being the Thanksgiving hero...all thanks to my mother's tuna melt.