The smells coming out of the kitchen were amazing. The combination of baking bananas, roasted walnuts and pecans, and local honey took me to great places past and present. The experience that followed when I cut and tried the first slice was rich and pure. This was a successful bake! As I enjoyed the results of another’s creativity and hard work, I found myself reflecting on my baking attempts and the many failures which followed.
Everyone can win. I often find myself returning to the idea that only a few can win. My experience with life tells a very different story. One needs to carefully consider one’s definition of winning. I have come to realise that winning, for me, is a life lived with three C’s; compassion, community, and care. Everything else is secondary. The usual measures, power, ability to spend, and prestige are, for me, secondary. Within this definition, everyone can win.
Winning and happiness are often mixed. I am still coming to grips with what this means for me. I have no view of what it should mean for anyone else. As I come back to the centre of what winning is, I find myself at peace. In this peace, there is happiness filled with hope. I believe the three C’s reflect Divinity’s heart for her children and the communities in which they live. In living our life to the full, we win by embracing what Divinity is doing for us.
Winning grows closer as one learns and grows. I have failed far more than I have succeeded. I find myself holding on to the saying that “Fortunate the person against whom the Lord does not keep score.” (Romans 4.8). It is never about one dish, one bake, or one decision. Winning is the story we create with our lives, especially in the ways we touch those around us.
Most of the banana bread has been consumed. I am already looking forward to more. The good news is that today is unwritten. There will be opportunities to cook, bake, and live. Seize the day!
