About giving the greater part.

Dear Ana,

So I'm working on a big presentation for work tomorrow, which means I'm still at the office. I got hungry but had no food or time to get dinner, so I looked around until I found a bag of popcorn, which I popped. As I mindlessly munched, I realized I was fishing out all the slightly burnt kernels, by habit, instead of actively avoiding them as one may normally do. This reminded me of you, because once you told me you had eaten so many burnt bags of popcorn that you actually began to prefer the taste of slightly scorched corn.

None of this helps me in my case against Ken's claim that I truly PREFER burnt toast and grilled cheese sandwiches (I know Sarah can also relate). In truth, he dislikes them so much that I examine each piece and put the more well done slices onto my plate to save him the disappointment of flipping his grilled cheese over and seeing black. Because I guess I don't mind eating black toast, if it means I get to watch him happily eating his light to medium brown toast.

And then, Ana, that struck me as the kind of thing you would instinctively do for your beloved Zack and Jack. And I got a little bit hopeful that someday I can be as loving and devoted as you have shown me a wife and mother can be.

And that's really what the next 10 days should be spent thinking about. Because it doesn't matter what color the chairs are, or where the lights are placed, or what time we transition from dinner to dessert. What matters is that I continue to cultivate a love for giving him what he wants most, whether that is my love and undivided attention, or all the buttery white kernels in the bowl.

Thanks for teaching me by example Ana. See you soon,

RZ.