PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING!
I stood
in the aisle of the market for nearly ten minutes
trying to make a simple decision
about what type of pudding to buy.
My life is such that anything with
an "instant" label on it grabs my attention.
But oh the memories of my Mom making
chocolate "cook and serve" pudding.
As I stood
there in the market,
I could see myself as a child waiting
by the stove
and watching my Mom slowly stir
the pudding
until it reached that creamy velvet
rich texture.
I could see her pouring it into
the cups,
leaving just enough stuck to the
sides of the pot to entice me
to take the stirring spoon and scrape
every morsel,
until the pot barely needed to be
cleaned.
The process
of making this dreamy dessert takes patience and time.
Two things I find myself lacking
in my life today.
On one hand,
the instant is easier and requires one bowl.
No muss. No fuss.
But too many times in my life I
have taken the easy way.
Oh yes, I have reached my goal in
the process.
But to what gain?
Instant stuff brings little satisfaction
in life.
A solid success that one hangs proudly
on the wall
is one that requires the same special
attention as
"Cook and Serve" pudding.
First the
right ingredients.
You can't make a cake with a pie
recipe.
Your life needs all the right ingredients
as a foundation to true happiness.
Love, commitment, family, friends,
faith, hard work, and dedication
make for a solid foundation on which
to create happiness and fulfillment.
Secondly,
patience and time.
As my 85 year old friend Violet
tells me, "Hurry slowly."
Keeping a watchful eye on the pudding,
as the instructions suggest,
by "stirring constantly" permits
one to be aware of the process.
Controlling the heat as prescribed
in the recipe prevents burning and scorching.
My tendency has always been to think
that if medium heat takes 15 minutes,
than high heat should take only
7.
I'll get there quicker.
But in
life, as in this recipe,
applying the right amount of heat
assures steady, constant change.
Watching the pudding thicken slowly
builds anticipation and greater
appreciation of the final product.
Taking my time with my life goals
puts more value in the experience
and I find the changes to be permanent
rather than temporary.
Finally,
the celebration.
Having taken so much time in preparing
the pudding, I have bonded with it.
After dinner I place a cup in front
of each of us.
They dive right in.
But I, the creator of this masterpiece,
savor this moment.
I take my spoon and, off to one
side of the cup,
I break open the chocolate seal
that has formed in the cooling process,
much like the closure created on
a job well done after long dedicated hours.
I don't fill that first spoon to
capacity.
Just a taste will do.
The first taste of success is always
the sweetest.
Placing
the spoon in my mouth,
I close my eyes and once again I
am a child
and I swear I could hear Mom ask,
"Well? How is it?
I made it special for you."
Yes you
did Mom. Everything you did was special.
Because you took your time, followed
the recipe, added a lot of love
and gained the satisfaction of a
job well done.
The proof...
is in the pudding.
Bob Perks
You Can Visit Bob's Site HERE
~
Made with Love ~
