My dad’s last meal was fried clams.
Flashback to 1998. Dad was dying of lung cancer. The living room was dominated by the hospital bed sent by hospice once it was clear he could no longer manage the climb to the second floor bedroom. He had been in and out of consciousness for several days when he suddenly became alert again, like himself. This day also happened to be my mother’s birthday. She had died two years prior of cancer.
After he had been turning up his nose at solid food for days, he said he wanted to eat. What do you want, Dad? Whatever it is, we’ll get it.
He wanted fried clams and french fries from (the famous!) Kelly’s Roast Beef in Revere. So, my brother drove to Revere (not so very far from where we were) to get him what he wanted.
He ate and enjoyed every last bite.
And then he fell asleep, drifting into a coma from which he would not awaken. He died peacefully two days later on March 15, 1998.
Every year, I have fried clams on March 15th to commemorate this experience and to celebrate my Dad.
This year, at the recommendation of my friend Stephanie, we tried a new place in New Hampshire, Petey’s Summertime Seafood and Bar.
It was definitely worth the trip!
So maybe I expanded on the fried clams…Dad loved ice cream sundaes, too, and I am my father’s daughter. 🙂
And he loved martinis, dry, with two olives…but that’s a different story.
**Disclaimer: This is my memory of this experience. Other’s remembrances may differ.**
Karen Creamer Author, Coach, Speaker 