In the Mail

My mother sent me my retainers a few weeks ago with a note. I don't remember the exact contents of the message, only that it was brief, something close to "Here you go. Love, Mamma." Where was the superfluous show of affection?

For years I've watched my American friends unwrap their care packages and pull out peach rings and vitamins, chewing gum, Kool Aid, and Twizzlers from their boxes like some unending magic trick. Care packages aren't a Swedish thing: we're a hardy people, a nation of stiff upper lips and personal space. We have no need for such showy displays of--UNDERWEAR! LONG UNDERWEAR! My mamma sent me LONG JOHNS to keep me warm in these dratted British houses. AND SOCKS AND SOUP AND CHOCOLATE!