Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Perfect Patsy's Cookies


This may be one of my most random postings. It's about life and perceptions. I know a woman. Well, I actually know more women than one. I know one woman in particular who makes these cookies. I had to post her cookies. Every year, without fail, I can count on seeing these beautiful flawless wonders. They are always perfect. Not just good enough looking...immaculately mathematically and scientifically perfect. I bet if I measured with a ruler, they would all be exactly the same in every dimension. I bring this up because this particular photo I took of a plate of cookies that showed up at my youngest son's Birthday party. My mother in law laughingly said that she had made them. She knows she's not a cookie maker. We are all good with that. Just by looking we knew where they came from.

The woman responsible for these wonders of nature is named Patsy. She has never been seen in pants. Nobody I know has ever seen her sporting anything close to a pair of slacks. She always has make-up on and her hair... perfect. In the old neighborhood, I remember seeing Patsy outside in summer, gardening...always in a dress. Classic. She's just in that generation that wore dresses everyday and that's just how she lives. In a lot of ways I admire it. I have a lot of respect for her as a person of integrity and love. So not only are her heart cookies perfect, but people feel it in other ways too. She has perfect love for everyone who meets her. I think that is my random point. There is a certain group of men and women who are living lives of quiet desperation. Trying to hold up a perfect outward image, while inside they don't have hearts of love and integrity. They have beautiful cookies...but wretched hearts. They treat perfect strangers with more dignity and respect than they do the people in the walls of their own home.

So here's the challenge for me. Making Perfect Patsy's cookies. Cookies that match the heart one has inside. It's being a good cookie all the way through, not iced salt dough. For me, It's not about impeccable frosting and curves...it's about the woman behind the cookie dough. Can she stand the test?. Can her children grow up and say she was the same at home as she was in public? That is the cookie maker I strive to be. For the record, I'm not perfect. Not even close. I am trying harder everyday. Oh, and one more thing for the record...as a Christian, I imagine that one day the ultimate test of my womanhood won't even include baking...it will include how well I loved others and lead others to Him. Will my heart match His? Not a cookie heart, but perhaps a complete duplicate. Perfect with love. So, there you go.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

You're right, these look perfect! So pretty, I love all of the tasty looking carbs on here :). That banana bread is calling my name!

Chef Tess said...

Thanks Sophie! I've heard a lot of great response on the posting you did of the Bear Buns! Thanks for your wonderful encouragement! Everyone go see Sophie's blog!