The Lemonade Stand

In the world we live in it is so simple to lose sight of the moments.  Like now for example…you find your mind is either thinking about something that already happened or something that will happen in the future.  The only guarantee we have is this moment, so make it count.  We can not travel back to the past and we can not move forward to the future, therefore…you must be in the present.  That brings me to the purpose of the title, “The Lemonade Stand”.

As a kid, there is nothing more exciting than the idea of having a lemonade stand.  Mixing up the sugary drink and whipping up a sign…misspellings and all.  In my case, a card table with a sheet made for a sufficient stand and an old red thermos that looked like it might contain mold on the innards made the perfect vat for the lemonade.  The preparation and anticipation was half the fun.  The next part, the customer and the 25 cents.  And the last part…dreaming about what you would do with the money you made.  Luckily, the preparation is half the fun because I failed to mention…I lived on a dead end.  No one…not a single soul…would be driving by.  This is when my mom would secretly pick up the phone and make her calls.  The only one who would come through was my grandfather (Guk) in his old brown Ford Galaxy with seats like a couch.  He always acted surprised and shelled out more than the 25 cents.  But still, that moment was magical for me.  Seeing the car in the distance…is it coming?  Will it stop?  Yes, yes, it is slowing down!  Then I realize I know who it is, but still it is magical.  I pour the lemonade that I had already stuck my fingers in a few times to sample.  It sloshes over the edge and spills onto his hand.  “Twenty Five Cents,” I beam as he hands me a dollar.  Quick flash of panic…how do I make change when I have not had a single customer.  “Keep the change,” he tells me and all is well.  I wait longer, actually a lot longer but that is all for my day.  As the sun slowly sinks I pack up my stand and walk back to the house.  Still glowing from that one magical moment when I had a customer.  So now, no matter how sticky the lemonade is or how many bugs are floating on top…I always stop at a lemonade stand.  It is my way of making someone’s moment magical.  Of course…I know to dump the lemonade when I am out of sight.  No matter how clean the kid looks…they definitely sampled the lemonade with their hands.  I think it is a fact or at least it should be.

So how does a lemonade stand have anything with “real life”?  It is simple, make every moment a lemonade stand moment.  And when you can give a lemonade stand moment to someone else…then do so.  A rule I hold dear to my heart…always stop at lemonade stands…never be too busy for that.  Make the best of your moments and help others do the same.