Summer of the Snowball

In the soaring temperatures of a Baltimore summer, the locals complain, "It's not the heat; it's the humidity!" The haze that settles over coastal Maryland is only broken by the occasional storm, and those are all too short. The locals found a better way to beat the heat: the snowball.

Some people call this concoction "shave ice" or "snowcone" but in Maryland, it's always a "snowball." In May, snowball stands start popping up like dandelions all over the state. You have your choice of flavors, and toppings like marshmallow creme or chocolate sauce. They are a favorite among the young and old alike. For myself, I confess that I love the idea of snowballs more than the iced treat itself. I almost never finish one. In fact, if I get two snowballs in a summer, I'm satisfied.

This summer has been unique, though. One day I got a hankering, and I came home eating my watermelon flavored snowball. My dad got inspired to start eating snowballs after his dialysis three days a week. Typically, when he leaves dialysis, he needs both hydration and a blood-sugar boost. The perfect solution: a snowball!

However, the first couple of times that he went to the snowball stand, he was too light-headed to stand in line. One day, he mentioned to the lady running the stand that he was weak from dialysis; the next time his truck pulled up outside her stand, she took his order and payment from the truck window and delivered his snowball "curbside." She has continued to deliver his order straight to the truck when he stops by a few times a week.

I was very touched by her compassion. I don't know her religious background, but I think that this lady has embodied the golden rule: treating someone else as you would wish to be treated.