Cookies

When I was a teenager in Athens, Ohio, I was very fortunate to have friends whose families welcomed me into their homes and let me participate in special family occasions. One family, the Schmiedings, hosted an annual wintertime gathering for holiday cookie-baking and decorating. They invited lots of friends, particularly those with kids, and they included me. It struck me that yes the box of goodies was a great gift, but the time shared and the memories made were the best gifts. I have cherished those memories, that example, and have done my own version as an adult.

This past Sunday I had a gathering of beloved friends and family share in creating new memories. One family’s son and daughter have been enjoying this cookie-decorating tradition for many years–a son, now a sophomore in college and a daughter, a senior in high school. Even during the pandemic, I made cookie kits to drop off. Not the same as gathering, but it was a way to continue a tradition. Mary has concluded adding edible googly eyes to a star or Christmas tree brings a lot of joy and did a couple of years ago when we needed every single extra scrap of joy we could get. Each year, I witness the delight and creativity of kids young and not so young, but mostly I get to soak up the connection and laughter and put those moments in my back pocket for the days when I need them most.

I so appreciate the love and care given to an awkward teenager and how the echoes of that get to keep reverberating to others. So it is with all things…