I thought this up while I was a-brewing my daily cup of Ceylon tea (with sugar), which is fitting, in so many ways.
Hm, I'll see if I can come up with something for Pro-Zutara week. She so better not break Aang's heart. I will not forgive her.
Life is Sweet
While life itself is sweet, there are things that can be done to make it that much sweeter.
He was always scolded for buying so much stuff. His nephew deemed it useless and always threatened to throw it overboard. His nephew was angered when he made jokes, acted stupid, or even acted smart. He could never seem to find the funny side of things.
That is where they differed.
Life was strange like that. There are good days, and there are bad days. But, looking at his young charge, it was probably bad months. Some people just cope with those bad days better than others.
That's all one can do, really. Cope with the bad and hope for the good.
There are different ways of coping. Some seek solitude, other look for a hug. Some cry, some laugh. It all really depends on the person. Each has their own way of making life bearable.
People need an escape. It's only natural. His escape was to make sure he was as comfortable as possible. There is nothing wrong with that. It's how he managed to survive.
When life got rough he looked for things to make him happy, brightened his day and bring back some of the sweetness of life that had been lost. He always did favour the sweet over the bitter. Didn't everyone?
That's why Iroh always put a little bit of honey in Zuko's tea.