When A Pie is Baked …

Story by T. KatzSlideshow by Janet HindeMusic by Gregory Hinde

It had been a particularly grueling day.

And the last place I wanted to be was at work serving

others.

But not bringing home a paycheck wasn’t going

to help either.

So, wearing shoes and a plastered on smile that

were equally worn out …

I tried desperately to be cheerful to the cop who’d

worked all night.

The giggling teenagers were happier than my heart

could handle.

I started to work my way around the restaurant tables

It was all I could do to be pleasant to the woman with the

crying baby;

Table after table

I struggled to stand tall despite the weight on my shoulders

By the time I’d reached the man in

the rumpled clothing I just wanted to

cry.Still I smiled, filled his coffee cup and took his

order – A single slice of pie.

With all the worry on my head, a problem customer was the

last thing I needed.

Later when I refilled his coffee cup I noticed the tip of the pie

remained.

Setting the plate in front of him I watched as he cut away

the tip of the pastry.

Today that person is you.”

He motioned me closer and looked

side to side before sharing his secret.

In an accent I didn’t recognize,

he whispered …

“When a pie is baked, all of the sweetness

falls to the center and I slice the corner away. Then I make a wish for

someone who needs it most.

“Mister, was there something wrong with that pie that you

didn’t eat that piece?”

And from that day forward I made a vow to leave my worries at the door, making an effort to see and care for those before me.

This stranger from a strange land had given me the gift of being seen and cared for.

Choosing to take the sweetness in life to make a wish for those who need it most.

The End