So for all my Liberian food lovers out there: About two weeks ago, I visited my aunt and much to my surprise she'd prepared fried okra. Fried okra... one of my favorite Liberian dishes. No not doused in flour or breaded and fried dried, but fried okra, that sweet dish, in sauce. Not okra sauce in palm oil, just plain old fried okra in sauce.

Yum! I haven't had this delicacy (fried okra) for 1 year or so and every time I eat it , I overindulge and pay the consequences later. You know what I mean. So I took the first serving with white rice, ate, much to my heart's content and went back for seconds. No, I don't eat like this all the time. But you know, how your palate revels in the delight. How your tongue wraps around the delicious taste and flavors. And to tell the truth, my aunt is a marvelous cook. I must mention that several of us had gotten together; an impromptu family gathering. Fried okra was the choice for most. Conversations blossomed. Laughter rang out amidst bites of food.  Jokes and  stories jostled between moments of serious eating. Eh-yah, the food was sweet. Dare I say that Liberians cook some of the best food in Africa without being called biased? Well...

Often, it's the impromptu family gatherings that linger in the memory. I was transported back home, despite the cold frigid wind and snow that drifted from the sky. The conversation, laughter, jokes, and good time, made the afternoon such a treat. Yes, I was thankful to be present. And these times, isn't it these special moments that really count? The simple pleasures of being. Being among those whom you care about and sharing special memories. Yes, I think so. Fried okra and all.