In regards to Valentine’s Day
Cookie and Hot Chocolate Dates
Story By: Lydia Dodson
About a year ago I wrote a small post about love. I shared the small but substantial instance of love I had
the pleasure of witnessing one day. In that post, I referenced one of my favorite quotes from the beloved
Love Actually, challenging myself and readers alike to go look for it, for “love actually is all around us.”
So I have been looking for it. For those everyday illustrations of overpowering love. And I found
that when I opened my eyes, I didn’t have to look very hard.
One day in particular, I sat down in the café of Barnes and Noble, one of my most favorite places
to be. I was equipped with a Vanity Fair and a Gingerbread Latté, ready for a relaxing moment away
from the nippy winter weather. About a minute after I sat down, the table across from me was soon occupied by an elderly couple. I sent the usual half smile their way and started to go back to my magazine
article about Jimmy Fallon, when something made me look up again. The couple had also situated themselves with their respective magazines of choice, Popular Science for him and Country Living for her.
Beside their coffees were two red and pink sprinkled sugar cookies. The sweet simplicity of the cookies
made me abandon my Vanity Fair, intrigued by these two in front of me. As they munched their cookies, she periodically held up Country Living to show him an exquisitely decorated living room, to which
he oohed and aahed. He likewise held up pages to show her the latest gadgets of today. Every time she
responded with equal excitement and interest. You could tell that these gadgets weren’t her first choice in
interesting things, as the living rooms weren’t for him. But what was important to one, was important to
the other.
With my eyes wide open I looked around at the other tables in that small café. A couple of tables
over, a father sat with his two small daughters. Their hot chocolate mustaches the perfect accent to their
matching gingham dresses, they were nothing but giggles and questions.
“Why do I have to share my bagel?”
“Daddy when will it snow so we can make snowmen?”
“Daddy there aren’t enough marshmallows in my coffee.”
“Can we play princesses when we get home?”
To each of their questions he happily responded:
“Bagels are meant to be shared. Why else would they cut them in half?”
“It will snow when Elsa the snow queen gets back from summer vacation. You know how hard it is to
leave the beach.”
“Count them and tell me exactly how many you have. Not enough marshmallows is a serious problem
and if you have less than 20 we will have to get more right away!”
“We can only play princesses if you guys let me be the dragon this time