Deep Thoughts

It was one of those Saturday afternoons where a visit to the playground and the local ice cream store seemed like the perfect plan. The only problem was that we didn’t check the forecast before we left the house, and it turned out that rain was imminent. We decided to chance it and see how much playing we could get in before it got too wet. Unfortunately, about five minutes in, our heads were getting increasingly pinged by raindrops, and with a three year old and an eight month old in tow, it meant it was time to get moving. Fortunately, the ice cream store was just a short car ride away. When we got there, we were surprised to find the longest line we had ever seen. I loathe waiting in lines. They give me massive anxiety and dread. How long would we have to wait? Ten minutes? Fifteen minutes? Twenty minutes? More? We happened to have a brand new pint of strawberry ice cream in the freezer at home. Couldn’t we just go now and eat that? Our three year old said with conviction, “No!” And so we waited. And we waited. And we waited. When it was finally our turn to order, we got one cup of vanilla chocolate chip ice cream with rainbow sprinkles on the side, and one cup of ice cream cake ice cream. We found a place to sit, and we savored our ice cream. Even the baby had some. We watched other families licking with joy and determination. And when we were finished, we put a lid on the leftovers, walked back through the rain to our warm, cozy car, and drove home.