Cake is Really Just a Simplified Version of Life

When I turned nine, I really wanted a certain cake for my birthday. I wanted an ice cream cake. Not just any ice cream cake, but a Lord of the Rings one from Cold Stone. I had the flavor I wanted picked out in my head and everything. It was going to be perfect. I was so excited for my mom to bring it home that night! But, when she came home, I saw no Frodo or Sam on my cake. No Gandalf. Not even a few horses or orcs. I was horrified to see pink... Bright shades of pink and green. What I saw before me was no epic battle between good and evil in edible form. Instead, just the innocent face of none other than Strawberry Shortcake.

(note: The camera date is incorrect)

Of all the cakes she could have gotten me, she picked the one I honestly disliked. I would rather have had a generic happy birthday with no decorations. It was the complete opposite of the cake I wanted, in literally every way. It was the opposite flavor and style.

But you know what? That cake was still good. In fact, it was dang good. It still held my candles, it still make my stomach happy, and at the end of the day I was satisfied.

You know, sometimes you hope for things. You make silly little plans. You say to yourself that you know what you want and you wait for things to turn out like you want them to. Yeah, the cake analogy was a bit odd, but it seemed to simplify the concept.

"And it came to me then that every plan is a tiny prayer to father time"

Ain't that the truth? This has got to be one of my favorite lyrics of all time. It has stuck with me. It really is truth though. We can't make plans and expect them to always work. Things change. People change. And while we shouldn't stop planning, don't be discouraged when your course is changed. Yeah, sometimes it sucks... a whole lot. But maybe a different cake is what you need in your life.

With Love,
Tom