Grateful for Popsicles

A Jesuit friend from Slovenia arrived in Boston today and I was grateful to see him. After collecting him at the airport and doing a few errands, I took him back to the Jesuit community for a meal and to get settled into his room. We then set out to see the sights of Boston by foot.

My friend has his first experience of Dunkin Donuts coffee plus a chocolate covered donut and a strawberry flavored one. They were devoured quickly. As I have been on a restrictive diet for a while, I had not the slightest inclination to desire a donut or any sweet. That was soon to change.

We stopped by Quincy Market/Faneuil Hall and began to peruse the international food items. The first station was an ice cream market with two dozen flavors and an abundance of toppings. He started salivating but was full. Then we walked by another bakery, then a pizzeria, a pulled pork sandwich shop, a place selling clam chowder in a bread bowl, a meat market, an Italian bakery, a candy confectioners, and so on and so forth. I had no desire for any of the good. I was all set and committed to my changed eating habits. We then toured the commercial shops.

Then we toured the North End, the Italian section of Boston, and I was doing fine. We went to Bova Bakery and my friend was taken aback by the aromas wafting through the air. I started salivating too, though I was not hungry. Then we passed by Mike's Pastry and the line was too long and we could not get in. I was grateful. Then we went to Modern Pastry and we looked at the torrone and other sweets and my resolve was breaking down. He kept talking about the possible food he can try in Boston, and I was becoming weak.

We finally left and jumped into the car to return back to the community. However, I was thinking bad thoughts about food. I felt an urge to go straight to the refrigerator when I arrived home, but then I remembered we have popsicles in our freezer. I quickly took one out of the box, unwrapped it, and thankfully my bad urge was gone. I'm grateful for popsicles. It saved the day.