What do Macarons Have to do with Hugs?

A tribute to Michael Miceli

In this piece, Jen explores themes of authenticity, gratitude, and the importance of hugging and being held. 

I have some macarons on my fridge

But you can’t eat them

Not because I’m not a generous host, but because they are not edible. They are colorful magnets from The Container Store, meant to liven up whatever I attach to my fridge to remind me of things: what to eat, what to buy, whether we need Almond Milk (again)

Does anyone else feel like they are constantly grocery shopping or thinking about it?

But my clutter is never really contained, is yours?

From the moment I open my eyes

There are things to do

I’ve said this before

And it bears repeating

As my mother used to say (may she rest in peace)

Your to do list doesn’t end until you die

And it’s true

And until I clone myself, until you and I do,

We must forgive ourselves our foibles 

Our falling short

Sooner or later we all have to choose our priorities

And it’s true

Watch what people do, not what they say, if you want to know who they are and what they care about

Watch where their time and money go, and attention, too

And if you’re lucky they will give you your love language 

Mine is words of affirmation and quality time

When it’s safe for you to come inside, I hope we get to share some Ladurée macarons

On a sunny day, at golden hour, with the sun pouring in like butterscotch and wrapping around your senses (hat tip to Joni Mitchell). 

Better yet, I’ll buy some local ones from my friend whose Worcester shop barely survived the pandemic – but now the sun is coming out and I think he’ll make it through

And you and I may meet there someday

In the gritty streets of Worcester

At a little café table outside

And we’ll toast to our survival with our macarons touching 

And when we say goodbye, we can have a REAL, LONG HUG, not an air one or an elbow bump, but a real, long bear hug, to mark the fact that we have weathered the crisis and made it to the other side of the bridge

We’ll walk along the burbling brook to our cars and have that good, long hug, worthy of a bear

And that hug will remind me of my good friend Michael, known for his hugs, who crossed the bridge in another way, courtesy of Covid 

It’s a nice thing to be known for your hugs 

I can still feel his arms wrapped around me and his hug on my heart 

We shall toast the lives lost and treasure ours all the more, 

Never to be taken for granted again

If you want to see what someone cares about, watch where their time and money go. The old adage, “actions speak louder than words” has stood the test of time for a reason. Life is short, make yours count. Want to get clear on your priorities? Excellent! Fill out my contact form and I will help you get clarity so you can choose a path that is authentic and meaningful to you.