Gizzard Stones

A young couple, taking an afternoon stroll through the town park, stopped to rest under a try by the pond. A small stone catches the young man's eye, and he picks it up to marvel at it. He feels the smooth texture between his fingers, flips the stone in the air, and catches it in his hand; he felt proud of his find. The young woman scoffed.

"What's so funny?"

The woman pointed to the stone. "That you're willing to handle that thing, Mark. It's a gizzard stone. Some bird swallowed it, used it to grind up bugs and worms, and when it was too smooth to use, puked it out. If you saw all that stuff happen, you would never touch that rock, but because you're ignorant to that fact, you don't care."

"You're right, Angie. The stone's probably been through all sorts of nasty stuff. But all I see is a stone that looks good and feels nice. And that's all that matters to me."

Mark skipped the stone across the pond. He took Angie's hand and continued the stroll. After a few steps, he whispered in Angie's ear, "That's why I never ask you about your exes."

Angie's heart melted and she gave Mark a full-bodied hug, and leaned her head on his shoulder for the rest  of their walk.