Light reading...

Yesterday it was my turn to pick up my daughter, Mary-Catherine and her girlfriends from their after school meeting. It was a beautiful day - very sunny and warmer than it has been lately. I got the girls and proceeded to drive them home when an idea came to me.

"Would you like to stop at the pastry shop to get some gelato?" I asked them. The day was getting warmer and it felt like summer again. I received an affirmative answer from the back seat!

At the pastry shop, the owner came around the counter to see us and gave us a warm greeting. After we told her why we were there she allowed the girls to taste as many flavors as they wanted until they decided on just the right one. I had my eye on a lemon sorbet looking one. It looked very refreshing. I tasted it and it was delicious. Then I spotted another lemon one on the left and asked if I could try that.

"This is delicious!" I told her. What's the difference between the two lemon flavors?"

"The second one has liquor!"

"What? Liquor?"

I then spotted a sign on the glass display case indicating that the lemon flavor I had just tried could not be served to children! Wow, that's the first time I heard of liquor in a gelato.

Meanwhile the girls were still taste testing! The woman and I began to chat. I asked her how everything was going and she told me that she was miserable because her daughter had just gone off to college out of state.

"Oh! I know what you mean! My daughter, Jessica returned to college and my son, Joseph just entered! I can't stand it either!"

The girls decided on flavors. I naturally chose the lemon (with the alcohol!). Not because of the alcohol, of course! But because it was refreshing.

The woman and I chatted some more about our children off at school as she rang us out at the register.

"I worry about her. I don't know if she's cold or if she's eating enough. If I don't hear from her for a day - forget about it!!" she explained to me very passionately. I truly understood.

"I feel your pain," I said smiling.

Her face lit up and she said, "But I'm going to see her this week end!"

"Well, when you get back we should have some lemon gelato together some time," I said. "We'll sit over there and commiserate!!"

"Yes! And I'll bring the bottle!"

[note: this reflection is by no means promoting alcohol, it's just a slice of life and lighthearted reading. :)]