Today is National Pancake Day, so I decided I would celebrate by eating a pancake. So I thought about what I have in my bare pantry shelf. And by golly, I do indeed have a box of pancake mix along with a jar of peanut butter. Happy as a lark, I started planning in my head the delicious supper I would have tonight to celebrate this national holiday. But then, I realized I didn’t have any milk. This throws a wrench in my plans because I have a strong affinity for milk. Call me quirky if you must, but I just really love milk.

Growing up, I drank 2% milk from the local grocery store for every meal. I switched to 1% when I got to high school because I liked the idea of not having to chew my milk. As my older sisters grew up and left home, they would return for a visit drinking skim milk! Such an atrocity! One night, sister #2 bought skim, 1%, and 2% milk. She poured three glasses with the three different types of milk. Then she blindfolded me and made me taste each glass to determine which was skim and which was 1%. I failed the test and resolved that watered down milk tasted quite delicious.

When I got to college, I discovered how much I really love milk. Now that I have to buy milk with my own money, I have a limit: only 1 gallon of milk a week. Without this limit, I could easily down a gallon of skim milk every two days.

There are certain foods I eat that require a tall glass of cold milk. Peanut butter, red sauce (marinara, ketchup, etc), cheese, and cereal. My meal is all thrown off if I don’t have milk.

So now, one can understand why not having milk for National Pancake Day makes me quite melancholic.
Not having milk for National Pancake Day also makes me quite embarrassed.
Because I really love milk, and insist on having it with certain foods. When I don’t have it, I remember that other people don’t have milk either. And the reason they don’t have milk isn’t because they forgot to pick some up at the grocery store.

Not having milk in my fridge reminds me of my selfishness.

There’s a line between obsession and affinity. Too often, I cross the line and rearrange my schedule in order to have time to run to the grocery store to get milk. I don’t want to need milk. Going without for one day is good for me. My taste buds will be just fine eating peanut butter and drinking water.

So though I don’t have milk today, I’m going to celebrate National Pancake Day. I’m going to remember those who go without a tall glass of milk every day. Because life isn’t all about me. Or my love for milk.