Toast in Triangles - Starting Traditions

When I was little and lay on the couch recovering from a stomach bug, my mom would bring me a piece of toast cut into four perfect triangles. In my family, we always made our own breakfast, so having toast brought to you (in triangles no less) made me feel quite royal. I came to associate "triangle toast" with illness and with the extra-special-loving care one pours on loved ones during those times. 

Once I had a daughter of my own, I made sure that every time she was sick she got toast in triangles - another princess. One day when Emily was in second grade, I decided to send a little extra love in her lunchbox and made those thoughtful diagonal cuts to her ham and cheese. Emily came home from school declaring, 

     "Why did you cut my sandwich cut into triangles? I'm not sick. Let's save that for sick times."

Emily is 21 now and before going off to her senior year in college, she caught a cold. I buttered a piece of toast for her and listened as she snuffled from the couch, "Don't forget to do triangles!"

Traditions don't have to be elaborate, expensive or clever. An extra slice of the knife my mother made almost 50 years ago - and a crazy and beloved tradition was born.