Sugar
My friend John is in the hospital making his final arrangements. I've never had anyone close to me die before, so it's been a profound experience.
Yesterday, he asked for some sugar in a containter. Because of his limited dietary options, bottled iced tea is his favorite food that doesn't get fed through an IV. He uses the sugar to make the tea sweet enough, since his sense of taste has been set askew.
I bought a commerical sugar container from a restaurant supply store---you know, the same kind with the beveled glass and metal lid that you'd find at the local coffee house. When I was filling it with sugar, I briefly wondered how much sugar I really needed. After all, John has cancer, and I knew I wouldn't be filling the container more than once. Actually, I probably needed only a few days worth.
Just as quickly as that thought entered my mind, I pushed it right out and filled the container to the top, because sometimes...sometimes sugar is more than just sugar. Sometimes sugar is all the time you have left together, and you wish it would never run out.
My friend John is in the hospital making his final arrangements. I've never had anyone close to me die before, so it's been a profound experience.
Yesterday, he asked for some sugar in a containter. Because of his limited dietary options, bottled iced tea is his favorite food that doesn't get fed through an IV. He uses the sugar to make the tea sweet enough, since his sense of taste has been set askew.
I bought a commerical sugar container from a restaurant supply store---you know, the same kind with the beveled glass and metal lid that you'd find at the local coffee house. When I was filling it with sugar, I briefly wondered how much sugar I really needed. After all, John has cancer, and I knew I wouldn't be filling the container more than once. Actually, I probably needed only a few days worth.
Just as quickly as that thought entered my mind, I pushed it right out and filled the container to the top, because sometimes...sometimes sugar is more than just sugar. Sometimes sugar is all the time you have left together, and you wish it would never run out.
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