..and I Give you Chocolate Muffins

There seems to be something therapeutic about baking. The process of bringing totally different items together, into one, and making something wholesome and new. It is not only that though. The actual physical effort involved in mixing and churning into a smooth batter. Is it consistent enough yet? Stealing a sniff or two to check the result of what is to come. Filling the house with the smell of domesticity. There is something uniquely gratifying in watching, through the oven door, the beginning of the dome - an indication that all is well. An eager watch on the clock to make sure it does not overstay its welcome in the oven. A skip and a cheer when it finally does come out. Most of all, however, it is in the sharing and the inviting of others to taste and enjoy. 

There seems to be something therapeutic about giving. Not asking for anything in return. It is in the seeing of an expression of appreciation; a pleasant surprise. It is a token of humanity in small forms, that shows that we are all living on the same planet; breathing the same air. We are all the same, even though we are all different. It is making someone's life a little better or helping someone see the light in a dark tunnel. It is definitely all about putting aside notions of self-righteousness, being a little less bourgeois - petit bourgeois perhaps - and coming down to earth. Being open and receiving to be able to be giving is such a satisfying experience. Nothing compares.

When baking, one is really giving and, when giving, one is really coming full circle in maintaining the bond of humanity.

Knowing God

A certain serenity shows on the face,

an even complexion that lights up with grace,

a welcoming smile,

a warm embrace,

kindness and tolerance - cradled with patience -

strength in adversity and

while in pain,

a glint in the eye called resolve,

attitude, that brings forth

building 

mutual ambitions

for humanity and the future

generations - progeny -

who will look up and search for 

role models, in the faces of those

around them, above them, below them -

search high and low and

around

the globe, it still turns,

linking one time to the next,

one era to the next,

from past to present - the here and,

now 

I look and see the faces of those who know

what life is all about -

a softness

a strength, above all - a smile -

common knowledge treasured,

cherished,

in the signs. If only one cares to see,

like in the faces of

those, who know God.

Human Condition - Part I

I am perpetually amazed by the complexity of the human make up. It is not for me to sit and casually criticise as I know that I am nowhere near perfection. Yet, still, I continue to be amazed about the imperfections that are often flaunted in the face of challenge. Imperfections that are worn with pride; some consciously and others unfortunately not. I must have fallen into the latter a number of times and I cringe to think of that. What of those who consciously display traits or habits that are just too ugly, I would think, to be associated with.

Gossip is one such trait. Has the art of conversation dried up to the extent that one resorts to indulging in others misfortunes? That is really what gossip entails. No one 'gossips' about someone doing good or someone successful (unless it involves insinuation of course). You will often find gossip associated with rumours and sob stories. It is often accompanied by lip biting and shocked expressions, parties leaning forward in awe and surprise, edging one to 'carry on' with the clouds of ridicule. Let us face it, gossip is ugly. Yet people indulge in it. In fact I would go so far as to say that there is a gossip culture firmly engrained in society. Workplaces thrive on it over a coffee break. Morning tea gatherings use it as a way of extracting community news. I would even go further on to say that men might oblige each other to gossip about their 'endeavours'! Shameful really. Do people really stop to think that 'what goes around comes around'? Do they realise that the same way one gossips about this person or that, somewhere in the future they could be in that same situation too. Sometimes I hear the feeble excuses that this is not gossip but "learning from other people's mistakes or experiences". Another good one is "oh I would never put myself in that situation - that would never happen to me". Little do they know that it does because no one's life is smooth and clear of imperfections.