***I plucked a salad from a food bar in the airport, my first adventure with kale.***

I don’t know about you, but whenever I get off an airplane, I feel unhealthy. Perhaps it’s because the humidity in the cabin is generally kept between 10-20% so I’m dehydrated. Or I’ve been squished in my seat like a sad little sardine and feel an urgent need to shower. Or maybe it’s because I might have munched on things that really aren’t good for me as I sped along the skyway in that metal can.

In any case, I often feel the need to restart my immune system with something healthy, hence the reason I recently found myself in Miami Airport standing before a shelf filled with plastic-enclosed salads, one of which boasted kale.

I will admit here that I didn’t recall ever tasting kale before. It’s not that I avoid greens. Gosh no! I was a long-time gardener and loved trimming fresh young leaves into yummy salads. And it’s not because I didn’t know kale existed. It’s just that somehow the plant never sang to me, which is strange since people have been chomping on those lumpy leaves for about 4,500 years.

Kale was sort of ignored in recent times, serving mostly as decoration on buffet spreads, but then, in the early 2000s, kale had a resurgence. Rich and famous folks like Dr. Oz and Gwyneth Paltrow began publicly proclaiming the magical benefits of kale. Bon Appétit declared 2010 the year of kale. Time magazine listed kale as one of the top 10 food trends of 2012. Fancy restaurants started showcasing kale recipes. And today you can scarf down kale at fast-food places like McDonalds, Starbucks and Chick-fil-A.

I recall staring at the salad as my sweetie pie waited in line at the airport Subway. I knew what he would order. An Italian sub with spicy pepperoni, cheese, and salami with onions, lettuce, and oil and vinegar.

A short time later, we placed our feast out on a desk in the hotel.

Ryan stared at my salad. “Do you want some of my sandwich?”

“No, I’m good,” I said feeling rather smug as I dug a plastic spoon into my greens.

Kale is said to have a sharp, complex taste, somewhat like arugula or radish but mixed with an earthy, grass-like flavor. I found those fat wrinkled greens quite chewy and similar to spinach that had been picked a bit too late. But I was determined. Kale was good for me! Afterall, it contains big doses of vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, and manganese, fiber, copper, tryptophan, calcium, potassium and a whole bunch of other healthy nutrients.

***I tried but could not avoid the pull of an Italian sub.***

Still, as I shoveled that miracle food into my mouth and did my best to chew those thick leaves, I couldn’t help staring at Ry’s sub sandwich.

He caught me looking. “Are you sure you don’t want a piece?”

I glanced at my half-eaten kale salad, then back at his Italian sub, filled mostly with things that are bad for me and were unlikely to revive my airplane-stunted immune system. Still, the sandwich smelled like warm bread and vinegar, cheese and onions.

I’m sure you’re thinking, “Don’t do it, Anne! Stick to your guns!”

Please know that I tried.

“Is that wheat bread?”

Ry nodded and I felt a little bit better.

Okay,” I sighed. “Just one small piece.”

Your Forgotten Sons

Inspired by a true story

Anne Montgomery

Bud Richardville is inducted into the Army as the United States prepares for the invasion of Europe in 1943. A chance comment has Bud assigned to a Graves Registration Company, where his unit is tasked with locating, identifying, and burying the dead. Bud ships out, leaving behind his new wife, Lorraine, a mysterious woman who has stolen his heart but whose secretive nature and shadowy past leave many unanswered questions. When Bud and his men hit the beach at Normandy, they are immediately thrust into the horrors of what working in a graves unit entails. Bud is beaten down by the gruesome demands of his job and losses in his personal life, but then he meets Eva, an optimistic soul who despite the war can see a positive future. Will Eva’s love be enough to save him?