THE LAST BITE

I love sharing food.  It's just always been something I've done.  Lots of times when I meet my daughter for a meal out, we end up sharing something - sushi, a sandwich, a Chinese dish.   It seems that I usually can't eat a whole meal anyway.  I also don't care if someone at the meal wants to eat something off my plate.  Most definitely I am not possessive of food.  Freely I will give you a bite, a taste or even a portion of what I have.  There are some people in the world who will not share their food at a meal.  They do not like when you ask for a bite, take a sip of their drink, or use their utensil.  Now I am not saying that you should willy nilly eat off of everyone's plate at meal time (that could cause some highly strained relationships if eating with a client, a co-worker, a marginal friend of sorts, even your mate who hates it!).  But, there is a freedom and a closeness that comes when you are willing to share what you have on your plate or in your glass with someone else.  I am somewhat a clean freak, and yet do not get easily grossed out if someone I know and am close to eats off my fork or puts their lips to my cup or straw.  Not in the least.  It's really a simple sort of goofy thing when you think about it - the effect of sharing food with someone.  But, it is a huge thing to me.   When I met my husband 7 months ago on our very first date we found out we both loved creme brulee.  We ordered it for dessert - one dish, two spoons.  I knew then that this man had the capacity to be open, not threatened and would freely give himself and love to me.  From that first date forward we have shared meals, coffee, dessert, silverware.  I don't mean that we together have eaten them with each other, although that is true too.  I mean, many times we order one coffee, one meal, one dish of ice cream.  We have never had to ask the other if it's ok to share.  It is some silent dance of love that we share between us.  To me, it's been a tender act of grace, closeness and love.  We love the same foods.  Our coffee preference is about the only thing we differ on.  He, loving regular unflavored coffee with a medium hit of sweetener.  Me, loving flavored coffee tinted tan with real cream.  More times than not he will share my cup of cream laced coffee in a restaurant even though he prefers it sweetened.  With me in mind, he has ordered his lattes with one pump instead of four to lessen the sweetness so to share it with me.  Last night we watched a movie.  He asked if I would eat some ice cream.  I shared his dish of mint chip.  In fact, he spooned it into my mouth off his spoon between his own bites.  Beautiful it is to me.  Natural it is to me.   We have another dance in this food sharing thing we do.  It's the dance of the last bite.  It would seem that we both try to give the other the very last bite of whatever it is we are sharing.  I though have found creative ways to always give him the last bite.  He giggles when he realizes that I have tricked him into eating yet again the last bite.  It's my gift and reminder to him that I love and value him and want to give him all that I have.  Even the last spoon of mint chip ice cream:)