pound cake

some things in life truly are all about the process, not the product. in my life, this holds true for cooking and cleaning. though having a sparkling clean toilet is nice, it's not the actual sparkle on the toilet that is the end-all for me. it's the physical labor involved in creating the sparkle that opens the floodgate of true, personal satisfaction. and the reason is this: the process does something for me as a person, it releases stress, it creates harmony, it allows me to relax and re-evaluate. a step back, if you will. and it seems, especially as of late, that a step back is often what i need in order to create fabulous "end-all products" in other areas of my life.


such was the case today whilst i slaved over camp materials awaiting organization and distribution. my brain reached a point of non-productivity due to overload and a quickly surmounting lack of motivation. i needed to step back, so i pulled out my recipes of delight compilation and found a pound cake recipe i've been longing to try. i spent a completely transcendental twenty minutes mixing flour, eggs, sugar, vanilla and butter together. what a heavenly combination.


the process was rejuvenating because i didn't have to think about anything, just add this to that and mix together. my mind wandered. i delighted in my sense of taste and smell. i marveled at the chemistry involved in baked goods. i smiled as i thought about the loved ones i would get to share this tasty morsel with. part of me became the process, which in and of itself was a success.

i was a key ingredient in something beautiful, delicious, and that brought joy to others. i was part of an important process which created an end-all product that was worth the mixing, scraping, and the heat.