Accepting Onions

by Paula Veloso Babadi

“For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead!” (Romans 11:15)

My husband and I recently celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary.  There was no big party or extravagant vacation, just a quiet dinner reminiscing about what a journey it had been. We were grateful to be where we are now through tears and laughter, peaks and valleys. Then, my husband reminded me proudly that after all these years he was still my onion!

Something as simple as an onion contains contradictions. When it is pulled from the ground, it is at once intense, pungent, and strong, yet so easily torn by handling its delicate skin. It is sweet when sautéed, but causes us to cry in its raw state.  Scientists have tried to suppress the onion enzyme that brings on the tears, but in doing so, they discovered their engineering caused unwanted changes in the onion’s essence and compromised its health benefits.

Over the years, I learned that soaking an onion in water before you chop it can lessen tears, that the flavor becomes sweeter when sautéed gently on lower heat, and that when peeling, be careful because the best nutrition is preserved under that first skin. You could say the same about my own “onion.”  I decided long ago to accept onions (and my husband) as they are, without alteration— to endure raw tears and enjoy delectable taste.  My husband and I laugh over a poem I wrote about our relationship (below). We have been through raw, sweet, and savory times. You know what I mean: I love onions, but they still make me cry now and then. 

Accepting Onions

by Paula Veloso Babadi

I’m an onion through and through.

You like me when I’m in the stew, 

Flavor mingling with the rest

I think that’s when you like me best.

When you face me raw, I make you cry,

My taste too strong for you to try,

But persevere and you will find

The secrets in each layer of mine— 

For though my flavor is intense,

My benefits are quite immense.

Polyphenols, flavenoids,

Boost the heart, fill diet voids.

They reside in my first layer,

So peel me with the greatest care.

Anti-bacterial, good with liver,

Even helps with the blood sugar.

To get these benefits, you must commit

to take me daily and never quit.

Don’t like onions? Think again,

I give you paper from my skin.

Pungent taste enjoyed through time

I’m the star of feta, pita, herbs, and wine.

Those who’ve learned to appreciate me

Discovered there’s more than what they see.

I know I’m harsh and sometimes rotten, then

You throw me out, completely forgotten.

But I’m also tasty, savory, and sweet.

The choice is yours whether or not to eat.

And when my Panthial S-Oxide makes you cry

Remember my qualities that elicit a sigh.

I may be just your onion,

In some ways good and some not,

But without you to complete me,

I’m only food in the pot.

It’s when you accept me for what I am,

I become the finest pick in the land.

Copyright 2025 by Paula Veloso Babadi 

Edited by Gabriella Batel