Last night I received gift from a Chinese man and his adult son. They wanted to thank me for the hospitality I had bestowed them even though they had already compensated me for it. They drove thirty minutes out of their way to an authentic Chinese Bakery somewhere in Doraville. On their return, they got stuck in rush hour traffic, which was compounded with the rush of holiday shoppers. I’m not sure why they decided upon Chinese pastries. What I do know is that they went to a lot of trouble to get them for me.
When they presented their gift, I graciously accepted it. I was never aware that there were Chinese pastries but I guess every culture does. Even though I am not a “sweets person”, I was curious about them and wanted my taste buds to experience something new.
My verdict this morning is that they are ok. There is nothing extraordinary about them. I know I will not go to the trouble of looking for them during my remaining time here on Earth or lay out the money to purchase them, even if I happen to be Doraville.
But I am going to enjoy eating the entire basket they gave me, even if it means walking an extra mile every night. That is because what these two fine gentlemen gave me was a lot more than Chinese pastries. They gave me 75 minutes of their time, driving to and from that select bakery to honor me with a gift as a tribute to my hospitality that they so appreciated. Time is the most precious commodity we have on Earth. We only get so many heartbeats, and they expended a number of them driving to Doraville for me.
Prior to forty-eight hours ago, I had never met these two noblemen. They gave me a gift to honor me, and I will honor their time by relishing those Chinese pastries.
