A Burst of Gratitiude

I know I haven't posted in such a long time, and perhaps no one even reads these mumbling rambles any more, but there has been a deluge of good stuff that happened today and I want to share my thanks.

Thank you, Bobby Flay, for showing how well an ice cream scoop can work for cookies. I knew about it, I never heeded, and then watching you a light went on. Yay for perfectly shaped, lofty cookies.

Thank you, Two Fat Als, for posting a simple, perfect, no weird ingredients or proportions, no-need-to-tweak recipe for Best Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies.

Thank you, to my sweet husband, for telling me it wasn't too late to make cookies today even though I felt it was.

And if you have been following, yes, my camera is still broken and I haven't purchased a new one.

Because Wise Words Should Be Repeated

Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate,
but that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant,
gorgeous, handsome, talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us.
It is not just in some; it is in everyone.

And, as we let our own light shine, we consciously give
other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.

Nelson Mandela

This quote is incredibly meaningful to me; not just because it says what I have felt in my marrow since I was young, not because it is what I have tried to communicate to people at many points in my life; not because the more I learn about Nelson Mandela, the more I appreciate him; and not just because the first time I heard it, it was in Hebrew. It is because of all these things, working in concert with each other. Whenever I feel a lack of passion or hope, these words bring it all rushing back like a forest fire. I am grateful.

Postscript: Thank You

Lately, I've been receiving a lot of compliments. Many unexpected, or in areas I had already decided I am deficient in.

During my teens I had a difficult time accepting compliments, that I didn't have as a child. Ah, the hubris of childhood, when we truly believe that we deserve the nice things people say to us. What I've realized is that some old habits of deflecting praise have cropped up again, and that is no good at all.

When I give someone a compliment, the most satisfying thing is for them to acknowledge it and say thank you. After all, a compliment is simply voicing a personal opinion, and what is nicer than to have your opinion accepted as fact?

So, I want to thank the people who enjoy hearing me sing, reading what I write, think I'm a fast worker, or have complimented me in some other way and were met with some sort of deflective answer instead of the gratitude I felt. The positive things you say make my day for weeks after the fact.

Thank you.