I had humble pie for breakfast the other day.
My husband and I are dieting. This particular day we each had a business luncheon scheduled and knew that we couldn’t easily be calorie compliant. So we agreed that we would be moderate in our consumption and get right back to the calorie counting the next day.
As a modest treat, we stopped at a local coffee shop to enjoy a pastry for breakfast. The sweet clerk behind the counter asked which pastries we preferred. I said that I wanted a chocolate muffin — it’s only really a treat for me if it’s sugar, grease, AND caffeine, right?!
Anyway, she stepped over to the pastry counter, looked back at me, and said, “You wanted a cinnamon chip scone, right?” “No,” I corrected politely, “I’d like a chocolate muffin.”
We continued to chat about the weather and I noticed that she hadn’t yet selected my pastry. So I paused. She said, “You wanted a cinnamon chip scone, right?” “No, I’d like a chocolate muffin,” I responded.
She reached toward the muffins, but went back to the weather. We chatted a little more. She put the pastry into the bag and came over to the counter to ring-up our purchase. “OK,” she summarized, “that’s one maple scone [for my husband] and one cinnamon chip scone.” “No,” I said with a little more firmness edging into my voice, “I’m getting a chocolate muffin.” “Oh yes, that’s right.”
She completed the sale. We left the store. I dropped off my husband at his office. And I drove the rest of the commute to work.
After returning a few phonecalls and responding to a few emails at my office, I had an available couple of minutes to snatch the first luscious bite of my pastry. You remember, right? The chocolate muffin?
Taking a deep anticipatory breath, I opened the bag ready for the lingering aroma of chocolate to caress my nostrils. Nothing. Was it stale, I pondered? Nope. It wasn’t stale. There wasn’t an aroma of chocolate because the pastry in the bag wasn’t a chocolate muffin. You guessed, didn’t you: it was a cinnamon chip scone. BLECH!
Needless to say, I was pretty cranky for a few moments! This was going to be my special treat on a rare diet-moderation day. And a cinnamon chip scone just didn’t do it for me!
Then I took another deep breath. And I said to myself, “Elyse, what are you thinking?! Be grateful that you have a scone to eat. Be grateful that you have a car to drive. Be grateful that you have a desk … and a chair … and job at which you take a break.”
So that was the morning that I had a cinnamon chip scone for breakfast, along with a healthy serving of humble pie.
In these turbulent days for our nation and our world, perhaps it’s fitting for us to each have a serving of humble pie from time to time. To focus, at least occasionally, on our still-abundant blessings and not just on our losses.



















