Stir the Sugar: A Lesson in Love and Expression

One afternoon, a dear friend came over to visit. I decided to make her a cup of brown sugar tea — something she always says she loves when I make it.

While the tea was brewing, my elder daughter tugged at me, irritable and uncomfortable. The strap on her shoulder was pinching her, and she needed help. So, between fixing her strap and answering a quick phone call, I went ahead and added a heaping teaspoon of sugar into my friend’s cup — just the way she likes it.

We sat down, finally. I felt proud — multitasking like a pro and still managing to do something thoughtful.

She took the first sip… and made a face.

“What happened?” I asked, startled.

“It’s tasteless,” she said gently. “There’s no sugar in it.”

I was confused. “No sugar? Of course there is! I remember adding it while helping my daughter. The sugar jar is still open.”

She tilted the cup to inspect it. And there it was — all the sugar sitting stubbornly at the bottom.

I had added the sugar… but forgotten to stir it.

I quickly gave it a stir, and like magic, the tea transformed. She took another sip and her face lit up.

“This is perfect,” she smiled, “just like I like it.”

We both laughed. But that moment stayed with me.

How often do we do the same with love?

We feel deeply — love, appreciation, admiration — but we forget to express it. The sweetness is there, sitting quietly at the bottom of our hearts. But unless we stir it — unless we speak it, show it, share it — the other person never tastes it.

Unspoken love is like unstirred sugar: present, but unfelt.

So today, stir the sugar. Tell someone you love them. Say thank you. Give that compliment. Life is too uncertain to leave the sweetness unsaid.

What about you?
Who needs to hear your appreciation today? 

Stir the sugar — leave a comment or tag someone you love.