Trying new and old stuff

A familiar tight hug that made Johanna feel safe greeted her. "Happy to see you too. How about we test some Romanian treats and snacks, while you are here. I am curious about if you remember them." Josh agreed and half an hour later, they were walking in the Tinereteului Park searching for a bench under trees that would provide some much-needed shadow.

"What is this?" "It's Rum chocolate, a bar of small chocolate that contains rum just like the name suggests. Here you go! Try it! I am curious about your opinion!" He grabbed the small chocolate, wrapped in packaging with the colors of the Romanian flag, red, yellow, and blue, and dug in. "It's good! However, I don't remember eating it before!" "Who knows, maybe you never got to try it!" she said and munched on the little chocolate. "Next we have Eugenias. These are sandwich biscuits. In the middle there's delicious chocolate cream." she explained as she handed him a Eugenia biscuit. "It tastes good. Not the best biscuits I had, but still good. I can taste the chocolate inside and it's delicious," he muttered while chewing it. "I think I may have had those when I was a kid." He told her. "I had them for sure when I was a kid." Then Johanna took a bag of salted corn puffs out. "How about these? They are called Pufuletzi. They are salted corn puffs. Try one!" Josh ate one and replied: "My mom used to buy these when I was five when I watched cartoons every time she came back from work. They're salty, tasty, and dissolve in your mouth." This reminds me of the days when I had nothing else to do except go to kindergarten and then watch cartoons."

Johanna took another pack of corn puffs, on which was written "Lotto". "They are with cheese." Josh took one and replied: "They taste like Cheetos." "Thought so too," Johanna remarked.

"How about this? Care to take one bite and tell me your opinion?" she asked him and handed him a milk chocolate wafer, Joe. "Mmm, this really tastes nice. Like real chocolate!" "Yeah, they taste truly great!" She took out a pack of Krax with bacon. "The best I can explain to you what these are is that they're crackers that taste like bacon. I don't like bacon, but you might be into it!" "Ooh, that's a crime. How can someone not be into bacon?" Josh looked at her puzzled while grabbing one and munching on it, as his facial expression changed: "Yeah, you were right! They taste great!"

She took a chocolate out of her bag, took a piece, ate it, and asked Josh: "What do you think about this Poiana chocolate?" He took a few bites: "It's good! It tastes like regular milk chocolate. I think I may eat the entire chocolate alone!" "Okay, you can have it if you're that much into it. Want to taste these Petit Beurre biscuits too?" After biting into one and chewing it, Josh said: "They're sweet, but not overly sweet. I guess these pair wonderfully with milk!"

Johanna replied: "Yeah, or maybe even tea! I suggest we take a break from snacking'! I feel full and as if I'm having a sugar high!" Josh laughed: "Couldn't agree more! Not sure, if I would have realized that if you did not point it out! I was ready to snack on! I was so long gone that I forgot there are plenty of great snacks here! Thanks for bringing some and giving me the opportunity to try them!" "You're welcome," Johanna said, as she sipped down thirstily water in order to wash away the remaining food bits stuck to the teeth and the mixed tastes and popped a chewing gum out of her gum box. "Want some to freshen your breath?" she inclined the chewing gum box in Josh's direction. "Yeah, thanks, why not!" he responded while taking a gum and chewing it. "Too bad I did not bring any Canadian snack for you to taste! Would have loved the look on your face, while tasting everything!" Johanna laughed and cuddled next to him. "Don't worry! We'll find a way to do that once in the future!

*****

Johanna sat on the couch and was playing a game on her smartphone with diamonds she would have to match of the same color while waiting for Josh to return from the waiting line at the cinema where he would buy tickets for the movie they were supposed to see. "Yay! Finally!" she jumped up, as he returned with the tickets smiling. "Half an hour though left before we can watch it. " "Let's wait here!" Johanna waved a sign at the couch she was sitting on and put her head smiling on his shoulder. "I am sorry you have to suffer that much due to your eye disease!" "Well, I inherited it and there's no cure for it. It's ok…" she tried to smile, but her voice cracked and a lump appeared in her throat, as slowly, but surely tears began to form and drop from her green eyes and she suddenly found herself crying in his arms. Most of the time, if she had an issue, regardless of what it was she found a solution, she would solve the issue and therefore feel better afterward. However, this wasn't an issue she could find a solution for, as for decades doctors told her there was no solution for it. And there were doctors, who told her to never give up hope that one day there might appear a cure that would change her vision. However hope is a fata morgana, if you allow yourself to get attached to it. If you allow yourself to get attached to it, you will be sad if things don't happen the way you want to. And life doesn't always play out the way you think it is supposed to. That's why it is important to learn to be happy and content, regardless of the circumstances you are in. Attachment to expectations leads to suffering. True happiness comes from within.

"Oh, I am so sorry. I did not want to make you cry! I feel stupid! Maybe I should not have brought it up!" he told her in a sad and ashamed tone, as she was crying and realized she saddened him by her reaction. "Sorry, I did not mean to be a big baby about an issue I've been having for a lot of time. For some reason, I still can't wrap my head around it and make peace with it. I got used to the pain, however, it feels very hard to do that with the contract I seemed to have signed with the universe." Josh wiped her tears away from her face, as she cuddled in his arms and he tried to cheer her up." "Come on, smile. Smile at me that beautiful smile only you can smile that makes my day!' he said smiling in a soft tone. Even though it felt uncomfortable, Johanna tried her best to smile at him and slowly she calmed down as tears stopped flowing down her cheeks. "

"How did you find peace and survived through your depression? I can imagine it must have been very hard for you." He sighed and Johanna could sense his energy and pain of everything he's been through and he talked as if a heavy stone was on his chest: "Well, partly therapy and partly antidepressants. But therapists told me I'm far from being recovered and that I will probably have to deal with the depression for the rest of my life. Some even told me I am a lost cause. And that there is literally no hope for someone like me." Johanna sighed: "I don't know. Maybe happiness isn't about having that one big event that will magically fill the void…Maybe it's about taking it one day at a time and being grateful for all the times you've made it through when you thought you wouldn't. That's true strength. And when you realize you've survived so many things you thought you wouldn't… that's when the true magic starts to happen. You realize there's more strength in you than you even were aware of. Strength isn't something that comes from exterior validation, but rather from within deeply buried, waiting for us to unlock the potential hidden from our eyes.