Mom and I were about to finish cooking dinner, and my little niece Jessica came in to set the table. Instead of going to the dish drawer, she went to the pantry where there was a stack of old, mismatched dinner plates on the bottom shelf.
Mom worked for the local Council on Aging as a housekeeper. She did many of the little things that allowed elderly people to stay in their own homes. Most of her clients (客户) got Meals on Wheels, a service in the 1970s. They received a hot lunch and a cold snack to have later in the evening. This is really not very much food. Every evening Mom would make to-go meals on these mismatched plates covered with aluminum foil (铝箔纸), and then deliver them to the people who she knew didn't get enough to eat.
It was about ten years before microwave ovens（微波炉） became common, so it was important that the food be on a plate that could be reheated in a regular oven. Instead of a cold sandwich and macaroni salad, Mom's clients dined on Beef Manhattans, pan-fried chicken or meatloaf, along with veggies and a piece of pie or cake. Mom and Dad did this even after Mom left her job, and Mom continued after Dad's death until all her former clients had either passed away or moved out.
When I was cleaning out Mom's house after her death, I kept one as a souvenir (纪念品). Whenever I look at it, I will always remember the lessons of unselfishness and caring for one's neighbors that were modeled for me by my parents.
