Twinkies and Root Beer

“When he had gone about three blocks, he met an elderly man. The man was sitting in the park just feeding some pigeons.

“The boy sat down next to him and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the man looked hungry, so he offered him a Twinkie.

“The man gratefully accepted it and smiled at the boy. His smile was so pleasant that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered him a root beer.

“Again, the man smiled at him. The boy was delighted! They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word.

“As it grew dark, the boy realized how tired he was and he got up to leave, but before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, ran back to the man, and gave him a hug. The man gave him his biggest smile ever.

“When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, ‘What did you do today that made you so happy?’

“He replied, ‘I had lunch with God.’ But before his mother could respond, he added, ‘You know what? God’s got the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen!’

“Meanwhile, the elderly man, who was also radiant with joy, returned to his home. His son was stunned by the look of peace on his face and he asked, ‘Dad, what did you do today that made you so happy?’

“He replied, ‘I ate Twinkies in the park with God.’ However, before his son responded, he added, ‘You know, he’s much younger than I expected.’ ”

~Ann Schorb 2009