Super Brownies!

When I make my brownies, humility is not included in the recipe. They are the best brownies you've ever had. I offer my apologies to those who make good brownies, even those who make delicious ones. Mine are better.
My brownies have a layer of chocolate candy in them. They are so tasty that whenever I make a batch, strangely, the entire pan never makes it to the destination.
That was the case yesterday when I made a batch of brownies to serve the homeless ladies who were spending the night at our church. Claire and I wanted to offer our best, so we taste-tested them before we took them to church. Our friend Robyn wasn't satisfied that I had properly tested them, so when she cut them and put them on the serving tray, she too, had to try them out.
I don't have much experience dealing directly with homeless people. I've seen homeless folks, even talked to a few, but there's always been something separating me from them like my car or a serving line.
Yesterday I brought my brownies and my kids to church and it was a tie as to which made the ladies happier. Claire was ecstatic at having an audience and flailed around the room laughing and jumping on their beds. (I kept trying to get her to stop that, but something about a mattress just makes kids want to jump!) Paul toddled around the room hijacking food and chasing me.
Having the kids there was stressful. I was in charge of coordinating all the volunteers last night and had a hard time concentrating because of a constant worry that Paul would crawl down the stairs (two attempts) or that Claire would run away (lost count on that one.)
Having kids there was right. Kids are universal. No matter if you are rich or poor, everyone loves cute kids. And as luck would have it, my kids are cute. Claire and Paul offered a common topic of conversation that didn't involve any class divisions. They are also entertaining in their rambunctiousness. Several of the ladies labeled Claire and/or Paul as their "friend" and tried to keep them. One lady asked if Claire could spend the night.
So I'm glad I brought Claire and Paul, and I'm glad I brought brownies. I overheard one lady mentioning she was used to eating stale food. They all loved the brownies and asked if they were having them again for breakfast. I told them no, but found some baggies and gave each one of them an extra brownie in a bag. Some of them hid those under the table and I saw at least two ladies take their brownie bag to the bathroom, unwilling to part with it even for a minute.
I'm not claiming to have changed any lives, but I think I helped offer a little bit of happiness with my kids and my brownies. And if my momentary stress offers someone a distraction from their problems, it's worth it to me.