Coconut

I love exploring other cultures and cuisines. I also love sharing the fun things I enjoy and learn along the way. And that is exactly how I almost killed my office neighbor.

There is a concentrated population of people of Indian heritage near my office. So there are lots of grocery stores, bakeries, and restaurants representative of the culture. After a small lunch, we popped into a bakery to see what adventures it held.

I pestered the lady behind the counter until she shared her favorites. We picked those and some top sellers, and left with a fun mix of Indian sweets. We sampled a few and headed back to the office. Just as we got back, Staci asked if one of the sweets had coconut. She is allergic, so this is a very important question. It was obviously coconut based on the visible allergic reaction unfolding. Boy Scout mode kicked in and I ran to my office, grabbed a Benadryl, and a drink to wash it down. She quickly took the pill.

She lost all expression, then gave me a cold, steel-eyed stare. She wasn't looking at me, she pierced my soul. "Really?!?" she said. At that moment, I realized what I'd done. The drink was a pina colada energy drink. If you are unfamiliar, that’s pineapple and coconut.

Luckily, she is still alive.

In an effort to make things better, rushing can make it worse. We cannot be prepared for every possible circumstance. But, we can take a deep breath to get back into the present. This moment of grounding can give clarity of thought.

Am I appropriately prepared for things that might realistically occur? Are my responses to this situation making things better? Have I taken a moment to breathe? Right now… breathe.

Be curious, be kind, be whole, do good things.