Soup of the day

I just opened up a can of Campbell chicken soup (no MSG, mind you) that I accidentally discovered in the pantry. I don't remember when we bought it. We don't usually buy canned soup. I think it was in preparation for some blizzard or tornado warning, last year. Yeah, its been here that long. But that's the nice thing about canned food, right? Shelf life. Yes I am sure; *trying not to roll eyes* I checked the expiry date-it said August 2010.

I was feeling blue. It's just been one of those days when something small goes wrong and then things accumulate (or you let them) and you feel overburdened and overwhelmed. Some past mistakes, some unburied grudges, some unhealed wounds, some missed opportunities. Add to that an 'out-of-town-on-work' husband that you are missing terribly and a cranky baby that you cannot soothe enough.

So finding that can of soup made my face light up. There is nothing more therapeutic than some steaming hot soup to warm you up and lift your spirit. It's been used for centuries to ease a runny nose and as a home remedy to make the sick feel better. I won't be surprised if every country has a version; a recipe defined by its culture and its people.

Mine had chicken, carrots, celery, onion, stock, garlic, egg noodles. Wholesome, right? But we Indians, there's never enough spice in our food. Everyone in my husband's family adds ground black pepper, tomato sauce and whatever other condiment is available on the table to turn up the heat in a sweet corn chicken soup. (Personally, I prefer to add just the green chilly marinated in vinegar. Lots of it. :-)) So I put it on the stove and added 1/4 teaspoon of soy sauce, a dash of vinegar and sliced up a whole green chilly and let it simmer for a few minutes.

The aroma made me feel better. I put the little one to sleep. I received a kiss emoticon from the husband. I turned off the TV. I waited for my soup. Pouring it from the saucepan to the bowl; Watching the steam rise; The bright orange of the carrot and the faded green of the celery; And the first sip to the last bite. Everything made me feel better. Even the heat from the green chillies, burning my tongue made me feel better.

I found the strength to count my blessings. The first being canned soup, of course! :) No, seriously, I know the things that worried me or saddened me today are minuscule compared to bigger troubles many others face. In fact, as I write this post, I cannot seem to remember what set me off into feeling blue. :-) I may not have everything I want, but I have everything I need, right now. I have a roof above my head, a place to lay my head, food on my table and clean drinking water, good health and a loving family. There may always be some mistakes that I will make, some grudges I cannot bury, some wounds that might take longer to heal, some opportunities that I may miss. But I guess all this comes with the package that is Life.

I guess your soup need not be soup, literally. On another day it could be something else- an unexpected call from mom, a joke in the Reader's Digest, a clear blue sky or maybe even a random blog post. Or whatever it is that gives you a pocket of comfort and strength in your bones when you are feeling down. Anything that makes you want to chin up and keep going. That could be your soup of the day.