Calm Unity – 5:00 Fridays

So far 2012 has been supremely crappy. Sad news hovers above like a veil of spider webs that smack you in the face when you’re out for a leisurely hike on a sunny day. There is so much heartache and grief and loss to bear. Add to the mix some seriously challenging parenting issues, and I’m fit to play the “before” role in a commercial for the loony bin.

When I stop to breathe, I realize that there are many simple things to be grateful for. Of course I am eternally grateful for a healthy family, a loving, strong marriage, and a joyful home. These are giant stars that make my life shine, and I try oh so hard to not take any of it for granted. But that’s hard. What I want is an amphitheater of stars illuminated by the northern lights to beckon happiness and bounty and a season of peace.

But it’s a lot to ask.

Instead, I try to seek the joy in the everyday, the unexpected.

Today I found joy at Trader Joe’s. No, I’m talking about the mini peanut butter cups or the triple ginger cookies or the cheap bottles of wine. I’m talking about mustachioed B, who is one of the most pleasant people I have ever met. He’s not phony friendly in that typical cashier way. He’s a natural conversationalist who makes people feel warm. I’ve seen how he treats others, and I’ve experienced it myself. He’s a gem. B and I have been striking up some food and cocktail conversations. We always have time for extended chats because my shopping cart is so overflowing that it takes a while to scan and bag everything. Well, today’s 5:00 Fridays cocktail recipe is one that B shared with me when he saw that I was buying blood oranges. I really had no purpose for all those blood oranges so I’m thrilled he gave me a delicious use for them.

And more importantly, I’m thrilled that a virtual stranger made me stand up a bit straighter and smile a bit wider. B made me feel awash in a sense of community at my neighborhood Trader Joe’s. It’s not just a quirky little grocery chain. I see the same bright faces there every week, in the aisles and behind the register. We all wave a friendly hello or nod in recognition, and share the same lilt in our step for being among familiar faces. We chat easily about what we’re cooking and what cereal our kids like. We joke about the cheap wine and hope no one notices when we stock up on bottles that go for less than seven bucks each. We don’t judge when we see more chocolate than vegetables in the cart. We share sensibilities and enjoy our little corner of community. It’s a piece of comfort in an unexpected place. You might even say mt Trader Joe’s jaunts are at the intersection of Calm and Unity, which sounds an awful lot like “community.”

Calm Unity
4 blood oranges, quartered
6-8 ounces rum
Trader Joe’s peach juice

Pour the rum into a pitcher. Squeeze the orange quarters into the rum and then drop them in. Give it a little stir and let it all steep for several hours. Top with peach juice and stir. Put some ice in a tall glass and pour in this lovely bright orange concoction. The neon color alone will make your blue mood wilt.