Chocolate Chip Cookies
An elderly man lay dying in his bed. In death's agony, he
suddenly smelled the aroma of his favorite chocolate chip cookies wafting up
the stairs. He gathered his remaining strength, and lifted himself from the
bed. Leaning against the wall, he slowly made his way out of the bedroom, and
with even greater effort forced himself down the stairs, gripping the railing
with both hands.
With labored breath, he leaned against the doorframe, gazing into the kitchen.
Were it not for death's agony, he would have thought himself already in
heaven: there, spreads out upon newspapers on the kitchen table were literally
hundreds of his favorite chocolate chip cookies.
Was it heaven? Or was it one final act of heroic love from his devoted wife,
seeing to it that he left this world a happy man? Mustering one great final
effort, he threw himself toward the table, landing on his knees in a rumpled
posture. His parched lips parted; the wondrous taste of the cookie was already
in his mouth; seemingly bringing him back to life. The aged and withered hand,
shakingly, made its way to a cookie at the edge of the table, when it was
suddenly smacked with a spatula by his wife.
"Stay out of those," she said. "They're for the
funeral."