Mirriam Webster defines a milkshake as - "a thoroughly shaken or blended drink made of milk, a flavoring syrup, and often ice cream."  Most people would agree with this definition.  My definition actually started out as just that - an ice cream and milk dessert as a way to calm an angry patient.

(I must preface this by saying "yay, me" but I do not want to make this story about me in any way, except for the fact that I redefined what a milkshake is.  Or could be.)

One night shift working at the hospital in Alabama, I was working with an older than middle-aged man who was just not happy.  Not comfortable.  Can't sleep.  Hungry. Diabetic.  Miserable.  What can I do?  All treatments for him were complete, all medications given.  Unit refridgerator empty - again.  Only plain ol' vanilla ice cream in the freezer.  Hmmm.  I check the cupboards, and with no surprise found the following:  Graham crackers, saltine crackers, cream of mushroom soup, applesauce, peanut butter.  WTF are hungry and miserable people supposed to snack on?  So I used my critical thinking skills.

I borrowed a few cartons of milk.  I grabbed a cup of applesauce, some graham crackers, and vanilla ice cream.  I made the man an apple pie milkshake.  True to definition.  

However, I GAVE the guy a milkshake.  A kind gesture, that took very little time, cost nothing, to hand him a cup with a straw and say, "I hope this helps you just a little."  The man was speechless, and the smile on his face was priceless.  I don't know if the milkshake was tasty or not.  I made up the recipe.  He was pleased, his blood sugar stayed within range, and he went to sleep.  For the rest of the night.  Now, was it the treat he ate that helped him sleep? Was it the extra attention he received while he was awake and fussy? I'll never know.

What I DO know is that little things we do for people - a smile, a glance, an open door, helping someone in a store who needs an extra hand, even a neighbor whose trash can blew into the street during a storm - cost nothing from us.  They take little time, and usually make someone happy, even for a single moment.  To me, those are milkshakes.

I have many stories of milkshakes - what about you? So many different kinds of milkshakes, so many ways to spread the goodness of each one!