There is a saying about how giving love, or kindness, or rights, is not pie. It speaks to how such blessings are immune to the limitations of this world. There is no need to parse them out.
The
other day John and I hosted a reunion event, and we spent several days getting ready. Our efforts were fueled both by eagerness to make people comfortable, and nervousness that we would fall down on our responsibilities. When I realized that I gave away our ice chest years ago, I asked on social media to borrow one. Within an hour, I had six offers, including one person who would deliver. Which she did.
I went shopping and somewhat randomly picked out chocolate, berries, appetizers, brightly colored vegetables, dips, and chips. When Benjamin saw me come in the door with a cache from Trader Joe's he perked up.
"I'm sorry, but these are for a party. You can't touch them. But there will be leftovers!" His shoulders dropped in that way he
has of embodying disappointment.
A dear friend offered to help, and since she is actually skilled at hosting, and I was only pretending, I took her up on it. She even brought an apple pie with the class's year on it. The one that neither she nor I belong to, but we married into.
The evening was delightful. I had the chance to hear about a woman's weekly routine of grandmomming some days, and bike riding a hundred miles. Even the awful circumstances of a crash seven years ago did not deter her. Hearing her description made me feel alive, to both the joy of the ride and the anguish of the accident.
I listened to
a woman talk about her partner who died, and felt the depth of her sadness.
A small group of us shared spiritual experiences, which are often annoyingly brief, yet poignant.
Another friend spoke about her grandchildren... the ones the laughs
with, prays for, and dreams about their futures.
On paper the event was supposed to last two hours. But clearly that was not enough time, since we do still live within the restrictions of this planet, and I stood up to announce that they should not leave. We kept going for another two.
As John and I cleaned up I smiled to see that there were plenty of treats for Benjamin to enjoy. The pie was almost gone, which is proof that it was delicious. Just one slice left for my breakfast.
Because some things are pie.
