The Best Last Bite
Today I had to... no, I got to, go to a pharmacy to pick up an order. Just me, the Subaru and a face mask. BLISS. My order was boring pharmacy stuff - except for one little treat I bought for myself. Protein-infused dark chocolate.... Do not judge my treat of choice. It’s pharmacy food. And I was basically getting healthier by eating it.
I planned ahead for the big event: I downloaded a podcast on my phone and made a flask of hot coffee. I had every intention of savoring that entire package of dark chocolate with my coffee and a podcast ALL BY MYSELF. It didn’t matter that my dream scenario played out in a parking garage while I waited for the guys in front of me to push their broken down van up a ramp. It was delicious and wonderful. I pre-decided to make it special, and I was sticking to it.
We all spend a lot of time waiting on the big stuff - the end of quarantine, healing for family members, visas, birth certificates, and all kinds of heavy hitting prayers. It’s not good for us to live in limbo, waiting for that one big thing. I’m especially aware of that since losing my NaNa after waiting and praying for years for an opportunity to go see her one last time and that one big thing never happening.
We still have to pray, and we still have to hope. (Otherwise, what is there?)
But we also have to live. We have to plan ahead and pre-decide for everyday celebrations - to live abundantly in the very small things even while we wait on very big things.
Lifa’s the best at this. He pre-plans his last bite of dinner from the very beginning. Before he takes his first bite, he already knows his personal grand finale. I’m ashamed to admit we’ve made a few jokes at his expense when he gets too full for his last bite... but he saves it, and it’s even better the next day!
We make jokes, but Lifa has nailed it. And even though we will screw up more than we will get right in raising him, I’ll be pretty proud if he enters adulthood knowing how to savor, celebrate and love- no matter what his circumstances are.