Nothing beats Vanilla

The annual vacation made time for Grandpa and Macquin to be in each other's company. Mac was excited this year since he’d get to show off all the ‘cool’ gadgets, apps and novels he owned. New technology amazed him and he attempted daily to show Pa what he’d been missing. On their way to the ice-cream parlour one day, Mac pointed out, “Look Pa, the road is so rocky and long; we should’ve brought the car.” Grandpa smiled, “Son, imagine the relief when we get back to see that your father’s car has its tyres intact. These roads would’ve definitely torn them apart. Look at your legs, so strong. They can take you much further than any automobile.” Macquin seemed to give that some thought as he nodded.

Further ahead, they came upon a crippled man. Mac placed a coin in his outstretched palm. He had felt like placing two. However after some hesitance, he placed just one. He looked at Grandpa who had been observing him. “Pa, why do we have second thoughts?”

The reply came astutely, “Son, our noble first thought is from God. Then we allow our past experience & reasoning to mix with the ones that follow”.

Pensively Mac persisted, “But wouldn’t acting on our first thoughts make us impulsive? That could be dangerous.”

Grandpa replied, “True. So, we must continually feed our minds and hearts with good thoughts & words so that our immediate ‘impulsive’ tendency in any situation turns into a good deed. This way we can trust ourselves to always do what’s right”

Ruminating on those words, the boy wondered why he felt so stressed in the city and what was it about Grandpa that gained his respect. As they neared the parlour, he excitedly told his grandpa how terribly confused he was about which ice-cream to choose. Eventually he ordered a Choc Sundae. Grandpa chose good old Vanilla. Mac noticed that while his own tongue toggled sloppily over the tantalizing toppings, Grandpa seemed to relish his simple white serving. He exclaimed, “Pa, I chose the most delectable dollop and yet didn’t enjoy it half as much as you did.”

 Pa replied, “Son, you will find out eventually that the plain things in life are the most enjoyable. The sooner you realize this simple truth, the more you will benefit from your journey”

“For they are the ordinary things in life that matter most – a human touch, a smile, a meaningful glance, a simple phone call or message to let a loved one know you care. These are all the things that come to us naturally, they make us childlike. They make us more acceptable to Him who is seated high up in the clouds, the maker of heaven and earth.”

Thinking deeply on these words, Mac stared up at the serene sky. A cool breeze tickled his face making him smile. “More ice-cream?” asked Grandpa playfully. “Sure Pa”, said Mac excitedly. “I’ll take Vanilla this time. Nothing beats Vanilla!”