“Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.” Matthew 19:4-6 (NIV)
I love wedding cake, but weddings are another story. It is not that I have had a bad marriage to regret. On the contrary, husband and I have been married for twenty seven years and for the most part, they have been pleasant ones. It is just that I clearly remember the stress of learning to be a couple and blend our lives. To struggle with giving up some of my own desires in support of my spouse’s and to expect the same thing from him, but sometimes experiencing frustration and knowing that my choices often disappointed him as well. To learn that each other’s opinions were more important than anyone else’s even our parents. The first ten years of marriage were tough with learning to be grown ups and go to the same job, day after day, year after year. It seemed there was never enough left at the end of the pay check, and husband juggled his job with nighttime side work to keep us in the black. Two children came along and with their joys brought emergency room visits, sleepless nights, whining and back talking. When I go to weddings, my happiness for the young couple is bittersweet. They are embarking on a journey that holds many unknowns. So, I just go to the wedding for the cake. Actually, I go for the icing. Oh, how I love a moist cake covered in rich butter cream frosting. Not that icky whipped stuff. Give me an icing full of confectioner’s sugar and real butter. For me, the icing makes the cake. I wait in anticipation for the bride and groom to come to the reception. Sometimes, they take pictures forever and it seems like they will never serve the cake. After it is cut, I hurry to get in line for a piece. That first taste is crucial. There are some bakeries that really know how to do wedding cake, and others that just don’t measure up. If the cake and icing are just right, I spent the rest of my time figuring how to finagle another piece without anyone knowing what a pig I am. Recently, I discovered that I do not have to go to a wedding to get a piece of excellent cake. Wilton cake decorating company makes a boxed icing mix that is the best icing I have ever tasted. It makes a plain old mix cake taste like it came from the best bakery in town. Every time, I eat it, I feel like celebrating! You know, come to think of it, couples should just get married at the courthouse and then, when they reach their ten year anniversary hold a huge celebration. That’s when they deserve the big party. Anyone can get married, but how many can stick with each other both in good times and bad? Now, I think I will go make a cake. Or maybe just a bowl of frosting. It’s got to be somebody’s anniversary today, right?
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