Gift Cards and Instant Cocoa

One of the best things about the morning runs with friends is what happens AFTER the run.

Hot cocoa.

And I don't mean the "crappy powder with fake marshmallows and add hot water" kind of hot cocoa.

I am talking the REAL stuff.

Semi-sweet baking cocoa, almond milk, heavy cream, vanilla and a dash of cinnamon!

Nothing like sharing real, honest piping hot cocoa from a stainless steel thermos with friends after pounding repeats on Green Mountain in 20-degree weather under moonlight.

It's simple.

And....it takes a little longer to make in the morning.

But its worth it.

Because it makes the experience so much better.

Because its REAL.

It's from the heart.

Ultra running legend Scott Jurek mentions in his book "Eat and Run" that the simple act of cooking is an act of love.

I think he's right.

I think there are other simple activities that can be acts of love:

Teaching someone how to oil paint.

Reading a story to a child.

Or even uttering the words: "let's go running."

Like real hot cocoa, they are simple endeavors.

That require extra work.

But they make for great experiences.

Because they require more than passive attention or opening a package and adding hot water.

They come from the heart.

My wife and I were invited to a Christmas service at a church we would not normally attend.

I suspect we share a completely different world view than most of the congregants.

But that's okay.

The service was beautiful.

Beautiful because of what it did NOT have.

No concert-quality sound systems with light show.

No professional actors and a holographic Jesus.

Just a few string instruments and a choir.

And the singing of Silent Night with candlelight.

Like real hot cocoa......

The experience was simple.

It took extra work.

But it was real.

It was from the heart.

And that made it so much better.

I stuck to my goal of not buying any gift cards this Christmas.

Don't get me wrong, there are times when gift cards are the best option.

But over the years, I found myself using gift cards as a crutch.

A mechanism to replace the act of thoughtful giving with the efficient but superficial act of writing a check.

I guess it was last year that I realized that going to Safeway and placing dish detergent and Hamburger Helper in the same cart as the "gift" cards for my friends seemed far, FAR removed from the days of contemplating and surprising a friend with a gift.

I sound like a grouchy old guy.

But the older I get, the more it seems that the "slow and simple" beats the pants off "quick and convenient."

I plan on running Green Mountain and Lookout Mountain a few times with friends this week now that it's Christmas break.

The forecast calls for snow later this week.

I'm not worried

We'll be prepared.

I found a new cocoa recipe from Ghiradelli.

I might even bring the marshmallows.

AMJ