I decided to cook dinner for Herself last night.

I know some of you think I am a little harsh in my treatment of my good wife, but I appreciate all the hard work she puts into the digging, planting and harvesting.  She deserves a little treat from time to time, and I like to make these little gestures to show my appreciation.

Anyhow, I started to think as I waited for her slice of toast to pop out of the toaster, and I had quite a profound thought.

I have been around now for over sixty years, and some of those years were quite hard, and others were quite harsh.  There were all the years at school. with all its attendant beatings and all the years at college where times were harsh, trying to fit in all the parties and the boozing sessions.  Then there were the years of sweat and toil where I tried as best I could to last in the job until retirement.

All in all my life has been quite a struggle for survival.  All those years of very hard work.  All the expense my parents had to bear while I was educated.  Sixty long years of sheer fight.

And all those years led up to that point where I was standing waiting for a slice of toast to pop up out of a toaster.

I hope she appreciated her slice of toast.

One hell of a lot of fucking effort went into its making.