Peeler

While I still reach for the peeler to make short work of an entire apple or potato, recently I found myself grabbing one of our sharp kitchen knives to peel grapes. I’d never really tried to master peeling anything using my thumb as a guide against the side of a sharp blade; but I found it felt quite natural. Well … it felt natural, but the numerous lop-sided peeled grapes attested to my need for much more training. Watching the peels falling away into the sink, as if I were seeing through someone else’s eyes, I could recognize my mother’s hands peeling grapes for us children. Almost.

Illustration by Retsu Takahashi