There is one thing that can bring people of all ages and cultures to a shared smile: cookies.
Our local deli-restaurant is a gathering place on Sundays, where family and friends get together. Everyone gets to order their own meal from the various counters so we tend to grab our trays and spread out when we first arrive.
On our recent visit I spied a glowing display case of beautiful cookies, and I pointed it out to my young-adult children. They both dutifully looked over at what Dad was pointing to, and then they stopped talking.
Transfixed by the colors and shapes, we all walked over to the cookie display and basked in the yellow glow of pretty, cheerful-looking cookies. All of us had changed from adults to wide-eyed children, sharing the joy of cookies, and the anticipation of having one. It was a beautiful shared moment.
Everyone had a favourite, with my son picking the yellow butterfly, and my daughter liking both the pink flower and the watermelon. I bought one of each of those.
We separated again to pick our own meals, but when we sat down together to eat I brought out the cookies. Again there were smiles and exclaiming, and a great feeling of shared joy.
Whether it is cookies or fruit or smiles, please look for ways to connect with the simple joys we can all share.
