BURNT TOAST – A LESSON IN KINDNESS

One morning that stood out in my mind is when she had made breakfast for us. She was running a bit late that morning as she had a job at a nearby bakery. She placed a plate of eggs up and extremely burned toast in front of my dad. Not slightly burnt but completely blackened toast.

I was just waiting to see if anyone noticed the burnt toast and would say anything. But Dad just ate his toast and asked me if I did my homework and how my day was. I don’t remember what I told him that night, but I do remember hearing my mom apologizing to dad for burning the toast. And I’ll never forget what he said:

“Sweetie, I love burned toast.”

Later that night, I went to tell my dad good night and ask him if he really liked his toast burned. He put his arm on my shoulder and said, “Your momma does the cleaning and cooking for us and puts in a very hard day at work; she was very rushed this morning. And besides, A burnt toast never hurts anyone but you know what does? Harsh words!”

The he continued to say “You know, life is full of imperfect things and imperfect people I’m not the best at hardly anything, and I forget birthdays and anniversaries just like every other human. What I’ve learned over the years, is that learning to accept each others faults and choosing to celebrate each others differences, is one of the most important keys for creating a healthy, growing, and lasting relationship.