The Little Things In Life
This past week I was on a trip with my part-time, full-time employer, and I was enjoying a conversation about kids with one of my co-workers. He was explaining to me the fine art of making his kids “Bunny” pancakes. As it turns out, his parents had made him the very same culinary wonderments when he was but a mere boy.
His story of pure parenting genius seemingly repaired the synapses of my youth long ago damaged by the many feats of super human strength I participated in at the back bar of NAS Oceana’s O’Club…ah, the memories of good fighter pilot bros, great whiskey, and of course nimble little dancers. I digress.
It reminded me of similar experiences I had enjoyed as a kid in my grandmother’s kitchen. Grandma Gen would make me “Silver Dollar” pancakes, and it would befuddle me to no end just how delicious these little nuggets of pancake batter actually were – indescribable.
As a man of few original thoughts and since my compatriot did not currently have a patent on the “Bunny” pancakes, I decided to try them out on my little fighter pilots at home. Well, they were of course a resounding success as both my 5 and 3 year olds ate two bunnies each or the equivalent of eight pancakes.
Now every morning they wake up, their first request is for dad to make them “Bunny” pancakes, and I am of course flattered they so completely enjoy my culinary breakfast creations. I must of course pass ensuring them that I will make them on special occasions (that’s the weekend for the non-married with kids types), and only if they are good, use their manners, and help their mother when she asks.
You see I now understand what made my Grandmother’s “Silver Dollar” pancakes taste so wonderfully. They were made with love, and that makes even ordinary pancakes taste like manna from Heaven. It’s a simple thing.
In our every day hustle and bustle, it is often easy to overlook let alone do the simple things in life. This reminded me of a scene from one of my favorite movies, Secondhand Lions, where Hub, played by Robert Duvall, was speaking to Walter (the kid), played by Haley Joel Osment, at the pond about Jasmine:
Hub: Sometimes the things that may or may not be true are the things a man needs to believe in the most. That people are basically good; that honor, courage, and virtue mean everything; that power and money, money and power mean nothing; that good always triumphs over evil; and I want you to remember this, that love... true love never dies. You remember that, boy. You remember that. Doesn't matter if it's true or not. You see, a man should believe in those things, because those are the things worth believing in.
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