Published: December 19, 2006 07:10 pm         

If You Ask Me by Guinn Sweet

The sin of self indulgence

By Guinn Sweet

sweettalk@mineralwellsindex.com

John Milton wrote (L’Allegro 1632), “To many a youth and many a maid, dancing in the checquered shade, and young and old come forth to play on a sunshine holiday.”

Sounds a little like this past Thanksgiving Day, doesn’t it?

Would you believe that someone as jaded and sorry as a son-in-law (just kidding, Jacob) would invite us to his home, along with nearly 20 others, bringing nothing but hearty appetites to the table, to share the second most important holiday of the year? (The most important one being my birthday!)

First, let me tell you a bit about this son-in-law … in the first place, he can father the most handsome and most beautiful of grandchildren. I could never understand how anyone who looks like that could sire such children. He is a master chef and also a master plumber. I have never seen any of his plumbing, but if his cooking is a guide as to the quality of his other work, that plumbing is never going to spring a leak!

When he does a dinner for special occasions, he pulls out all the stops. And he usually invites most of the neighborhood and many of his friends – and a couple of family members. His turkey frying is so in demand that it is unusual that he does not prepare, for others, at least eight to 10 on holidays, in addition to his own two. The side dishes are always predictably good and varied, but he excels when it is dessert time. As I list the menu, you will see that I had all the reasons necessary to make a silly fool of myself, in addition to depleting the dessert offerings to almost nothing by the time I had finished.

I will start with the desserts, because that’s where I started my food intake. There was pecan pie, blueberry pie, chocolate cake, apple pie and pumpkin bread. But the piece de resistance was “triple-tiered chocolate mudslide pie”! Oh, my stars, my eyes are watering and my mouth is drooling just writing the words … I will be back in just a minute, I am going to the kitchen. Wow! That was just good stuff! Oh, self indulgence, you are a greater sin!

Seriously, there are many things for which we can be thankful. Ever since the loss of one toddler, years ago, we have never taken our children’s presence for granted. Just last year, our surviving son fell under the surgeon’s knife for a multi-by-pass heart repair. And survived as we prayed. The cares of all of our children with the rearing of their own children have fallen on our hearts, and we have wept and prayed as they overcame their marital and personal difficulties. And we still do. The youngest is in her mid-40s, and is really able to take care of her own problem difficulties, but we help, too. And of course, we are thankful that we can still do so.

The pilgrims got together with their native friends to celebrate their overcoming of the first year of separation from their homeland, they thanked God for their survival against all odds. This year, we came together with family and friends to celebrate our survival, thus far, of the present economic difficulties of our nation. We also celebrate the fact that we have come to this point, living well, within our financial means, and that our children have been taught to do the same. When the income is meager, we know that the outgo must match the meager nature of the income.

One nice thing about our being born during the last great depression is that we know that we have the endurance and sufficiency to get through the present one. We thank the Lord for the security of our salvation, the support of our church family and the pleasure of close friendships. What about the scarcity of cash? Ahh, if we had it we would probably spend it … Christmas is coming up right away and we would want to share the benevolence.

Bottom line, if we are surrounded with family and friends, have enough of everything we need, especially triple-tiered chocolate mudslide pie, as well as average health for folks our age. We have it made without dancing in “checquered shade on a sunshiny holiday.” Thank you Lord, for your goodness!