Lovin' Spoonful

(by Fiona Winch)

Some may say eight spoonfuls of sugar is too much. Some may say it can cause cavities, or that the crash from the rush won’t make the caffeine worth it. But in our house, sugar is no devil. My mom and I share a sweet tooth, a strong one that causes us both to suffer from CMS — Cookie Monster Syndrome. I blame her for this genetic inheritance, but I am grateful to have someone with whom to suffer through it. Treatment is optional, but side effects can include hating your life.

Eight spoonfuls with milk, please. (Are you cringing?) But that’s how my mother and I both drank our black Irish tea—to start. Some years ago, we weaned ourselves down to three. She introduced me to Barry’s Irish tea in the summer of 2011 while visiting cousins in Ireland. I was only 14 when I fell in love with Barry, but our bond was strong.

Throughout any fight, any heartbreak, or major transition, I knew my mom was thinking about me when she brought Barry’s tea and three chocolate chip cookies to my