By Wayne Chan
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
We are truly blessed.
The other night, my wife Maya and I were sitting across from each other at the dining table when Maya seemed to pause for a moment and seemed lost in thought.
She took a breath and with a gentle smile on her face, looked up at me and said, “You know, I’m just so thankful that we’re all healthy and happy right now.”
I knew what she meant.
Like any other family, we have our challenges. The one most obvious in our family is that two of our three triplets are on the autism spectrum, which requires that they attend a special needs school and need our constant attention. But this is something we’ve dealt with for 17 years now. It’s a part of our lives. It’s a part of our routine. We’ve got this.
What Maya meant was that despite our kids’ challenges, all three of them are happy, well adjusted, and doing just fine.
What she also meant was that after many years of working hard, investing time, effort, and our resources towards our respective work and business, our efforts seems to be paying off.
We’re not ready to build a helipad on top of our home or hire Martha Stewart to cater our next soiree or anything, but things have been looking up. We have a comfortable home, nice cars, and opportunities to travel.
And yet, regardless of how well things are going, some things never change.
A few days ago, Maya and I were invited to our local police foundation fundraiser called “Women in Uniform,” which is basically a luncheon celebrating the work of women on the police force. It was an amazing and entertaining event honoring some very honorable women.
After we finished our meal, and after a number of awards were presented, dessert was served. Along with the dessert was another treat – an individually packaged gourmet donut. It was a small, but beautifully decorated donut, with decadent frosting and crystal-like sparkles on top. The donuts were provided by one of the sponsors of the event, a local high end donut shop specializing in donuts with exotic flavors and toppings.
Here’s the thing. The donut was served after the meal, and after the actual dessert. So when the event was over, many people in the audience left their donut behind – a pristine, perfectly decorated donut, sitting in the plastic packaging it was served in.
You probably know where I’m going with this.
As people were getting up to leave, Maya and I said our goodbyes to the others at the table, and as we’re heading towards the exits, we see a sea of brightly colored donuts, practically lighting the path out the door.
It didn’t matter that I was full. It didn’t matter that the only donut I could lay claim to was the one I was served. It didn’t matter that if I really wanted a donut, I could buy a dozen from the gourmet shop, which was around the corner.
Heck, it didn’t even matter that I’m on a diet and the main parameter of the diet was rule number one – “No Donuts!”
The only thing that mattered to me was that there was a line of unclaimed donuts with my name on it. I was swiping gourmet donuts in a room teeming with police officers.
And for those of you who know me and my wife, before you assume that Maya was a voice of reason telling me it was ridiculous and embarrassing that I was scooping up all these donuts, let me just dispel that notion. At one point, Maya said, “I think I might be able to squeeze two more of these donuts into my purse.”
OK, maybe she didn’t actually say that, and maybe I was the one stuffing the donuts into her purse, but a donut is a donut in my book.
Wayne can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.