it all made sense today.
i've always wondered why the old adage chose cake as the thing that you can't have and eat.
more importantly, why would someone want to just have a cake? i mean, cake is for eating. simple as that. even a wedding cake isn't too pretty to gobble up.
then today, i glanced at the almost-gone carrot cake that i made last thursday for some company we had friday. there's probably enough left for three or four hefty slices. and this made me sad.
me, the same person who begged people to take some cake home with them friday night so we wouldn't have too much left over. me, who's only eaten one more slice since friday...and a couple random bites here and there.
now, it should be known (if you weren't here for the girly candle party friday night) that this is my step-mom's infamously decadent carrot cake, which has converted many a carrot-cake-hater into a carrot-cake-devourer. but still, why this sudden sadness when everyone had enjoyed a slice, and i had enjoyed two?
well, here's what i've decided. to have a cake means to know it will always be there whenever you want it. i have some cake right now, but there's not enough left to convince me that, should i have a craving for carrot cake three days from now, it will still be readily available.
so which should one choose, to have a cake or to eat it? the obvious choice is still to eat it--if you don't, it will go bad and you will neither have nor eat it (hopefully). but, knowing that you can't have it forever should impact the way you eat it: slowly, passionately, hedonistically relishing every bite.
of course, the same goes for everything a cake could stand for, that is, everything good in life. when things are going well, your bills are paid, your friends are true friends, work is bearable, the weather is nice, whatever it may be, eat it up. and don't feel one ounce of guilt about enjoying things that are meant to be enjoyed. just remember cake is always better when it's shared, and if it runs out, you've still got 2 things left:
great memories and the hope that someday, there will be more cake.
sometimes sweet. sometimes sour.
9 comments:
preach it carrot head :) I loved your cake so much that It made my blog!!! be sure to read my first post of the day... :) I seriously don't eat cake...I don't ever find a piece that is worth it...I usually eat one bite and then quietly throw it in the trash...seriously!! but your cake brought me to my knees praising God that I could be alive to enjoy it! i am not exaggerating! thanks for making it...thanks for inviting me to your house to eat a slice...and then thanks for writing about it, so I could remember how yummy it was...you are welcome to bring it to any gathering I come to...and any gathering when you make it, you MUST invite me...lol
I am normally not a cake person, but I would make an exception for carrot cake. In this situation, I feel it would be best to eat the cake and then proceed directly to Kroger to buy materials for a second, even bigger cake. Then eat that one, too. Because we live in America and have a right to cake. Or something like that.
So did you guys actually steal a key? All of our keys were present and accounted for when we got home. If you did take one, it definitely was not the house key, and I'll bet that's why our house remained peacefully unscathed while we were away. :)
And also, if you want more cake, I think my mom may have some leftover wedding cake that she would be more than happy to let you take off her hands. :)
I missed the cake and the party, but most of all, I missed your company. No excuses--just lots of papers to grade. Might I get the pleasure of your company at lunch next Wednesday?
I want some carrot cake.
anita, no worries! i am well aware of the grading dilemma. lunch sounds lovely--does after 1:10 work for you?
and becca, "if you want it, here it is, come and get it!" :)
I knew you would say that. I want to, I want to! Sigh. December. In December, post-Thanksgiving / travel / publishing / birthday madness, I will come to Athens, and I will hope to get carrot cake. :)
you work on gettng here, and we'll work on the carrot cake :)
Deal.
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