The truth about 'Pork'

This happened Tuesday. I was rummaging through the fridge trying to decide dinner for the kids and came across the grilled pork chops from the weekend. I decided its a good choice and asked for Sean's approval. He said yes so I warmed up two-one to go over my salad and one cut in thin slices for him. Rhea was having fish sticks since she would chew and spit up the pork. Week days Aji works late so the kids and I have an early dinner soon after we get home.

So all of us are on the table, I’m enjoying my pork salad. I have been craving for a steak salad for a few days and this seemed to be a healthier option and seemed to satisfy my cravings. Sean seems to like it too since the marinade was sweet and reminded him of the Chinese (teriyaki or General Tso’s) chicken that he loves. I’m enjoying the relative quietness amidst all of the chomping but I can see the thoughtful look on Sean’s face and knew something was coming…

Sean: Mom, what are we eating?
Me: Its pork. Do you like it?
Sean: Yeah
He paused for a minute and then continued,
Sean: Mom, is pork an animal?

My head started racing - what do I say, what do I say.I could picture where this conversation was going and wanted to put a quick stop to it before it got ugly. But with a very calm look on my face, I continued

Me: Yeah, it is.
Sean: Which animal?

My immediate thought was to get up to fetch a glass of water and derail his train of thought…but I decided to be more adventurous and see where this was going.

Me: It’s a pig (no better way to put it I guess)
Sean: So you cut it?
Me: ahem…
Sean: But that’s not right, right?
Me: What is not right?
Sean: To cut the pork?

At this point I really wanted to run out of there. I felt so gross and felt like I had a piglet in my mouth struggling to free from the tight grasp of my teeth…Eww…I could just toss my salad and taken a vow of vegan diet then and there.But I tried to distract myself in my mind saying - Protein, Protein is good for your body.

Me: What do you think Sean?

I was trying to turn the table on him and see what he had in mind. But thank god,he seemed to be quiet for some more time, lost in his thoughts and I grabbed the moment and distracted him with other talk.

I’m sure though that this is just the beginning of a lot of queries he will have on this topic and I’m sure he already knows that some people don’t eat meat and others do since he has mentioned to me before that his friend Rakesh is vegetarian. I will have to think about this a little more and come up with a better way to address his concerns. I guess, part of me does understand …one day we are in the farm Ooohing and aahhing at all the animals and couple of hours later we are enjoying the prime cut of one of them…I wonder if he realizes that the chicken nuggets are made from the same hens we spent so much time looking at the farm the other day.

Its tough being a kid at times..