The other day I was out to lunch with a friend. We’d eaten the “normal” salads we always eat, and the waiter came and asked if we wanted dessert.

Something we usually don’t get.

“That sounds so good, ” my friend said, “If I get some, will you eat it with me?”

“Sure,” I said. Who am I to shut down someone’s joy?

She ordered some ridiculously yummy sounding chocolate cake dessert with homemake ice-cream and chocolate sauce. It sounded delish to me. She had me at chocolate.

A few minutes later, our waiter delivered it to us, with two spoons. We dove into it like people who had never seen food before. Myself included.

“This is amazing,” we both said, in between stuffing food into our mouths.

And it was.

But then it started…

“I shouldn’t eat this,” My friend said. “It’s bathing suit season, and I don’t need the calories.”

I tried to keep my mouth shut. I tried to stuff more chocolate into my mouth so I wouldn’t say anything.

“I already need to loose ten pounds. Do you think I look fat?” she persisted.

It was painful, because I just wanted to ENJOY HER DESSERT!

But after a few minutes, I had to say something. If you haven’t figured out by now, I’m not really good at keeping my mouth shut, and I don’t strive to be politically correct. What’s the point?

“If your going to eat it, just enjoy it,” I said, “What’s the point of ordering something if you’re going to complain about it the WHOLE time you eat it?”

Silence.

She looked at me, glared, and didn’t say anything.

I had obviously pushed a sensitive button.

“I’m sorry,” I said, “But you’ve already committed to eating it, when you ordered it, so just stop talking and bask in it’s yumminess. Go for an extra long walk or run tonight if you need to. Plus, I think you look great.”

And she really did.

We were both quiet for a few minutes, licking the last drops of deliciousness from the bottom of the plate. I wasn’t going to be the one to break the silence.

“Ok. Point taken,” she said, and then we moved on past the dessert debacle.

But here’s the truth: if you order dessert, you’re obviously going to be served it. And if you’re served it, you’re going to eat it. And if you’re going to eat it, you might as well ENJOY it!

And toss the guilt out the door. It isn’t serving you or anyone else well.

Find meaning each day,

Dara