09/02/2025
These are not my words, but it is my thoughts exactly.
Enjoy your time now. While you have it!
She loved to bake in the afternoons.
Not every day—
just when the house was quiet
and there was a little butter and sugar to spare.
Her children would wander in from school,
and immediately recognize the smell.
She’d slide a warm cookie across the counter,
listening to stories about recess and spelling tests.
In the mornings, she tucked a few into her husband’s lunchbox,
a small surprise to sweeten a long day.
Sometimes she brought a plate to the neighbor,
or the church potluck.
It was how she showed love.
One evening, her husband invited a coworker over for dinner.
After the meal, she brought out a plate of her cookies—
soft, warm, fresh from the oven.
Their guest bit into one cookie and shook his head in wonder.
“These are incredible. You could sell these.”
She laughed softly. “That's funny. I just bake for family and friends.”
“No, I'm serious,” he said, “you could start small.
Sell a few each week. Maybe just to the neighbors.
Word would spread fast.”
She smiled, curious. “And then what?”
“Well, you could expand to Farmer's Markets.
I could probably even help you get these into grocery stores and coffee shops."
"And then what would I do?" she continued.
"With the extra money, you could buy better equipment.
Maybe even a bigger oven.”
“And then?”
“You could open a shop in town.
Hire help. People would line up for these.”
“And then?”
“You’d expand.
Open more stores.
Put your name on boxes.
Everyone would know you.”
She nodded, still gentle. “And then?”
He thought for a moment.
“Well, one day you’d sell it all.
Retire with plenty of money.
Take your mornings slow.
Spend time with your family.
Bake just for fun.”
She glanced at her husband leaning back in his chair,
her children laughing as they reached for another cookie,
her kitchen warm with the smell of sugar and butter.
And she said quietly, with a smile,
“Sounds a lot like right now.”
