As I was trying to get out of bed the other morning, I had a dream that I was carrying a cup of coffee with me around the house. I remember thinking that it was full, hence, easily spilled. In my dream, whenever I’d come to a task that would normally require two hands, I’d do it awkwardly and slowly because…well, because I could only use one hand. The other hand was steadfastly occupied with the coffee cup.

I don’t know why I dreamed that sequence about the coffee cup. Maybe it’s because a few days before I watched a four-year old walk around the house with a bowl of popcorn because she didn’t want to set it down for fear that it would…what? Disappear? Get eaten by aliens? Get sucked into a black hole?

Maybe I dreamed it because I tend to adhere to Grandma’s Law. Grandma’s Law says something like this: Eat your liver before your ice cream. Perhaps in my dream I was walking through the day as if each part was a new plate of liver. I had things to check off my list, things to accomplish before I could savor my ice cream which in this case was a hot cup of coffee.

But here’s the funny thing. By the time I took my first sip of coffee, it was cold. In trying to savor it, I spoiled it. By trying to save it for a special time, I made it lukewarm and undrinkable.

Here’s a random thoughts. Whenever you encounter a chance bowl of ice cream or cup of coffee along your journey through life, instead of carrying it about until the ice cream has melted or the coffee grows cold,  stop and enjoy it. You might not see another one for a long time. And if you insist on savoring it in a solitary way after all of your work is done, don’t be afraid to set it down for a moment so you can use both hands to finish the task before you.

And now that I’m awake, I’m going to pour myself a cup of hot coffee. And I’m going to take a minute to let the caffeine rush through my blood before I turn my attention to the next thing. But sadly, in the back of my mind, I’m now wondering if there’s any ice cream in the freezer…