Coffee with Chunky Creamer

Last week, I was in the break room at work and poured myself a cup of coffee. I was looking forward to this cup of coffee. As I have said in a previous blog post, I like coffee. I enjoy the taste. I do not use sugar except for what is in the creamer already.

I opened the refrigerator that had several creamers from which to choose. I usually go with the original, but today I would try something different. As I poured the creamer into my coffee, chunky creamer fell into my cup.

Correct me if I am wrong, but creamer should never have chunks.

Of course, I did not attempt to drink the chunky-creamed coffee. I quickly poured it out, rinsed my cup, and poured myself another cup with the original creamer without chunks.

There have been times when preparing something to eat where I opened a needed ingredient to find out that it was no longer good. Frustrated and disappointed, I had to go to the store or find another unspoiled pack of the same thing to continue.

It does not take much to spoil a good thing.

It is like watching a movie, but the person behind you keeps talking or having one last chapter to read and someone tells you how the story ends.

When we view ourselves, we mostly consider ourselves as good. Sometimes we pour things into our lives that may seem okay at first, but eventually spoils. You may tell the facts about something, but the attitude behind it makes you a gossip. Your cream has become chunky.

I have heard how someone’s idiosyncrasies attracted him or her to another person. After being with them for a time, those same idiosyncrasies are what they complained about the most. It is like good creamer that has spoiled.

Maybe it is the time that we let some of our old habits die. Maybe the phrase “It is who I am” not be an excuse anymore. Let us try to improve. Let us enjoy one another’s company. Let us live our lives while getting rid of the trash inside. We all have some. We just do not like to hear it.

Whatever the chunky cream is in your life, throw it out and replace it with something fresh. 

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” At least, that is how the song goes. Usually, the holiday season is full of excitement and anticipation. The end of the years brings us Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve. In my immediate family, it also brings three birthdays and two wedding anniversaries. This year also brought a college graduation. It is normally a great ending to the year. The season is full of good times, but it also has its issues. This year has had its share of the good, bad and ugly.

THE GOOD: Getting to celebrate anything with family is a wonderful time for me. I love my immediate family and my extended family. Not everyone can say that! We celebrate the holidays when our schedules will allow. Celebrating Christmas/Thanksgiving on a weekend before the actual holiday does not take away from the season for me. It is not about the food, the gifts, or the traveling. It is about being together.

THE BAD:  We can always find something about which to complain. While shopping, people shopping can be rude. Traffic becomes a problem. Stress can get to elevated levels. Waiting until the last minute to shop and not being able to get the one gift that would make the holiday better for someone can leave us feeling unaccomplished. We must take the bad with the good. The bad makes the good seem even better. Try to remain calm in any situation. Remember that everyone else around you are trying to accomplish the same thing as you. Treat others, as you want to be treated.

THE UGLY: This year’s Christmas week was not great.  Four days before Christmas, my dad passed away suddenly and unexpectedly. Four days later, my stepmom had a major stroke. The holidays brought many tears. My dad was my hero. I loved him dearly. He was funny, smart, always prepared, generous and loving. He was a great man and a better dad. We cry not for the dead, but because we will miss him.

The good that comes from the ugly is that you find out that people really do care about you.

Life does not end. Death is just a part of life. Life continues. The day that my dad died, a baby was born to someone I know from work. The new baby, Claire will never replace my dad. I may never meet her. However, we will remember his life story. Her story is just beginning.

Let us continue to look to the future. Do not be stuck in the past. Celebrate what you have. Remember what matters. Focus on the good even in the ugly times.

May you all have a Happy New Year!