Just the other day I remembered again how, during the Hunger Winter, I crawled inside the cupboard where, in better times, the potatoes were stored. I was little and had to crawl all the way in. 

I was looking for rice kernels, as my mother used to store dry goods there—while there still were some. I found three rice kernels and was elated. Rice gets bigger when it is cooked. My mother cooked them, and I ate them. 

I went looking in the cupboard more often, full of hope, but never found another kernel again.

Even though some things today remind me of war, today’s time is different. We have plenty to eat. We need to remember that and be grateful.