just desserts

This week a friend sent me a witticism lauding the benefits of desserts, drawing on the incident of Titanic passengers, who may have put off dessert that fateful day. The argument, of course, is that one must indulge and enjoy now, for one does not know what the future will bring. The assumption of such comments is that treats must be in the form of physical treats. Such an assumption totally negates the spiritual domain of humans. It has been said that we are spiritual beings having a human experience, not humans having the occasional spiritual experience. On that note, treats can come in the form of spiritual nourishment as much so as physical food. So, what if the passengers of the Titanic did forego dessert that day! Would it not have been a far greater treat to have experienced the love of God through prayer or song, or through giving kindness and assistance to others when the tragedy struck? This would have been a far greater and long lasting treat than to have eaten black forest cake or to have drunk expensive wine, or any other of the physical things we call treats (incidentally, each of these treats would have hindered one’s chances for survival in such a tragedy!). So, next time I am challenged with the claim “you gotta have some treats in life”, I will boldly and unapologetically answer, “I define treats, not by their ability to give pleasure only in the moment, but by their long lasting benefits—such treats would be spiritual treats that transcend beyond this mortal life”. Kindness, anyone? No calories attached.