Finding the Ice Cream

Ben loves ice cream, and he comes by it honestly. Summer Sunday afternoons often mean a family road trip to Eder’s for the best ice cream ever. His favorite flavor fluctuates, but often has something to do with cookies and cream. At home, he used to profess his disdain for vanilla, but once he realized that it could be a conduit for chocolate syrup, peanut butter, and whipped cream, he was on board.

When Ben was a little shaver, and had just learned how to escape the confines of his crib, he would make a break for it multiple times a night, just to explore the house, and all its forbidden wonders. As parents, we were exhausted. We trundled him back up to bed, and tucked him in again, only to hear him minutes later, making his way downstairs. Thankfully, this phase was relatively short lived, but at its peak, he made some significant discoveries.

Early one morning, when I saw his crib was empty, I began my search downstairs. When I found him, he was sitting on the floor, legs splayed, with a half gallon of ice cream on the floor in front of him. His face was planted in the ice cream. Ben looked up at me, ice cream and pure joy covering his face. He giggled and batted his eyes, unaccustomed to the ice cream droplets on the ends of his eyelashes. In the ice cream, was the perfect impression of his face, with an extra deep hole where his tongue had done its work. Not sorry. 

As a parent, I cannot condone this kind of behavior. But as a fellow ice cream lover? Well obviously, I’m a little jealous. Ben is older and wiser now. He uses a bowl and spoon. He doesn’t need to resort to clandestine night maneuvers. But if you know Ben, you know that this anecdote perfectly represents his personality and outlook on life. We all know people who, for whatever reason, don’t find the ice cream. They want someone else to find it and serve it. They find it, but it isn’t the right flavor. They want to find it, but know they shouldn’t. They only find a frozen ice milk alternative. They are dissatisfied with the ice cream they find because somebody else may have found a better carton. They find it, but aren’t really sure how to eat it without a spoon. Ben, at 19, is the same guy he was at 3, and he will tell you, it’s not that hard. Find the ice cream and get after it!