Cereal Therapy

“My junior and senior year of high school, I had a LOT bottled up inside of me from the past and the present that I didn't have a way to express. My best friend at the time - a *queen* at expressing her emotions, in a fascinatingly healthy way for a mere freshman in high school - caught on to this fact about me and worked hard to show just how much she loves and supports me. One evening on the ride home from a swim meet, I let slip that there was some heavy stuff that was on my mind. in that exact moment, she tried to tug the stories out of me, but i refused. Later, however, we found ourselves alone at her neighbor's house babysitting - the kids were asleep. I poured out my heart to her on the floor of this stranger's den, with her holding me knee to knee and eye to eye. The parents came home, and we quickly returned to her house where we continued to talk about my ‘stuff.’ Before we dove back into the conversation, however, she pulled out a fresh, unopened box of Oatmeal Squares - her and my favorite cereal. She had bought the box a night soon after that swim meet, and stowed it away in her room for safe keeping, just in case this very thing were to happen in the future. She pulled out the cereal and we cozy-ed up in the corner of her bed under a heated blanket, and I talked until 4 or 5 in the morning while she sat, listening attentively to my every word, with the occasional interruption for hugs or nose blowing. I love that my gal had that sitting there waiting for me, like a warm hug to welcome me into the situation, and welcome my thoughts out to see the light. It helped set the mood for an honest, raw conversation where it didn't have to feel like the whole world was falling apart. Because even if my stomach felt empty from proverbially vomiting my feelings all over her, it was refilled spiritually with God's love and her love, and physically with the warm comfort of oatmeal squares. Now we both always have a box at the ready, just in case either of us need to have a mental breakdown and cry a little bit over a box of comfort food.” Rachel Haslem