As many of you internet friends know, I love to cook. Cooking for me-like many.. is an art form that allows you to escape the monotonous circles of thoughts, tasks, endless to do lists, whiny kids on your legs, horrible reality tv shows and.. the dreadful news.
True Life: I am a cookbook hoarder.
I am a recipe junkie.
In my endless quest for seeking something to satisfy my next foodie craving, I found something.
I found an essay written before a recipe I wanted to review.. and It touched me in a place that says all of the things I am feeling..yet says it so eloquently and thoughtfully with out any f bombs or seething anger.. (LOL) .. It says what I think so many of us are feeling in so many ways.. deep down to our core.. but may not have the time, tools or... exact moment of realization to write ourselves..
So with that said.. I offer you this.. and thank you Alice Currah.
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The Heart Wants What The Heart Wants: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pancakes
The older I get (will be turning 40 next year) I realize that the optimism and hope I once had for people has eroded into acceptance that not only are people not perfect, they are in fact very broken. The only saving grace about any of this is knowing my hope, joy, and peace does not directly come from people. Instead, I rely solely on my faith that convinces me I never walk alone in this journey called life.Another reality I’ve come to accept is that nothing surprises me anymore. There are people hurting all around us, atrocities happening, and hearts breaking because we’ve become a collective culture of self perpetuated importance where we make self absorbed decisions with the hope of self gratification at the risk of putting our friends, family, jobs, etc at the alter of consequences which can change the lives of those around us, forever. And I am not here to judge anyone but rather to point out that we are living in a digital age where we project not only is life good but that it’s great, as we whine our 1st world problems into clever passive aggressive social media status updates fishing for likes. This makes me so very sad.
Boundaries which used to be clearly black and white have become a gazillion shades of grey.**
Just read the news and you will find countless headlines which support my theory that people will make (often) stupid, irrational decisions because the heart wants what the heart wants regardless of all those people who will get bulldozed along the way.
But the good news is each day we have an opportunity to wake up and get off this crazy train and be the good guy. The one who restores a little bit of sanity in a crazy world, shows a little compassion where hope is needed, and extends open arms of love and grace to those who are in need. We don’t have to settle for this me-first driven culture. Instead, we can choose to live outside the box and seek a life beyond a me-first world.
We can make a decision to live courageously today by being intentional in our words, actions, and thoughts. We can choose to live a life where we value other people beyond our own needs to be satisfied. And no, I am not talking about letting other people take advantage of us so we can play the supporting role of a door mat in the story of their lives. No, I’m talking taking the reigns of our own life and to give out of the overflow of our own lives to be an impactful positive influence in the lives of others which cannot happen until we go through the often painful process of self transformation from the inside out. To look inside the deepest part of who we are and to deal with all the ugliness which only serves to decay us into numb self centered people is a good step in the right direction.
I don’t pretend to know the answers to anything. All I know is the heart wants what the heart wants. And I want my heart, and the hearts of my children, to choose what is good, lovely, true, and real and seek adventure on the road less traveled. It’s a lifelong adventure with valley lows and mountain top highs. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.
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**My favorite line.
Alice offers a recipe for pumpkin chocolate chip pancakes after the essay.. if you want to view the page.. click here:
http://savorysweetlife.com/2013/10/pumpkin-spice-chocolate-chip-pancakes/#more-10900
But!!
What I'm really all about are these:
http://savorysweetlife.com/2012/01/red-curry-coconut-and-ginger-infused-steamed-clams/
I'm serious about my red curry. I'm even more serious about my red curry when it has clams...
Thank you Alice! I think I love you..
