Despite the small gathering, Thanksgiving was always busy. The traditional meal had been served complete with turkey, oyster dressing, cranberry sauce, various salads, mashed potatoes, and fresh rolls. The only exception was the pea pods, served instead of the traditional green beans.

Several minutes into the meal, I noticed that my youngest son Mr. B was not eating.

“Is there something wrong, Mr. B?” I asked.

“What are these?” he said, pointing to the pea pods.

I gave him a brief explanation before returning to a more challenging conversation with my dad.

“But they are lumpy,” Mr. B pressed, tapping the pea hidden in the pod.

I decided to indulge my son a bit. “The peas are covered to protect them,” I said. “Just eat them.”

“Like a blanket?” Mr. B asked.

“Just like a blanket,” I replied.

I returned to the adult discussion and barely noticed my son leave the table. Five minutes later, he had not returned.

“Where’s Mr. B?” My question returned blank stares from everyone else at the table.

I knew I would be on my own in my search for the missing Mr. B. There is something about turkey and mashed potatoes that glue people to the table. I had no problem finding him, though. He was in his room next to the bottom bunk bed.

“What are you doing, Mr. B?” I asked.

He moved away from the bed, and I quickly saw what he had done. Mr. B. had removed all of the peas from the pods and arranged them on the bottom bunk, each covered halfway with a tissue so that only the tip of the pea pod was visible above the tissue’s edge.

I didn’t even need to ask. “Babies need their sleep,” he said.

“Oh,” I said. “You did a nice job covering them up.”

“I didn’t want them to be cold.”

Only Mr. B could give new meaning to the term “cold food.”

Mr. B did a great job of taking care of his baby peas. He had a point. Babies do need their rest and shelter from the cold. As we move into Thanksgiving this week, I think all of us could learn from the soft heart of this one little boy. Be sure to rest. Take shelter from stress. You are important.

And while you are at it, have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Image Credit: Pea Pod – Free photo on Pixabay