I believe in eating the cake.

photo credit; http://www.culinaryserendipity.com/2011/06/14/chocolate-graham-cracker-cupcakes-with-marshmallow-frosting/

   Every single day to maintain a healthy level of optimism and happiness, I like to find one thing to celebrate, be it chocolate cake, a gorgeous new dress, an upcoming trip, a dear friend, a perfect cup of tea, or a beautifully cloudless sky. Too many people drag themselves through their days, looking forward to a day that might not come, putting the fun stuff; the cake and poofy dresses; on the back burner while they eat prunes and wear grey. Such seemingly innocent life choices can very easily become inveterate, making it that much harder to stray from the comfort of your prepackaged palate-displeasing but overly healthy dinner plates, perfunctory wardrobe of so-so daily outfit choices you find yourself revisiting daily, or your propensity to remain always a safe distance away from the cliffs-edge of your comfort zone, as a long fall awaits you should you slip.
   Naturally, myriad examples wait poised at my fingertips of anecdotal evidence as to why and how one should treat themselves to indulgences, and being a stark-raving mad foodie, let us begin with the tale of the chocolate cake…
   Ooey gooey molten chocolate luxury is batting its eyelashes at you from across the restaurant; perched from her tray, the manicured talons of a posh waitress drum impatiently on the cold plastic as she glares down at the young woman awaiting this treat. But your diet binds you to the idea that if it tastes good, it needs to be as far from your reach as possible, lest it taint your painstakingly maintained size two figure with its caloric drippings. So you pick daintily at your arugula and poached pear salad trying to look content with your meal, however, the lingering image that chocolate indulgence is persistent. Like our damsel who is secretly longing for some saturated fats, plenty of mildly happy, and wonderfully healthy people believe in culinary discipline, but unlike this woman, I believe in eating the cake.
   I entirely understand the lack of emotion our chocolate tale may leave some with, so for them, I have another up my sleeve…
   That little chiffon dress keeps creeping its pretty little silhouette into your mind, the one with the hand stitched Peruvian lace and otherworldly forest green hue that you paid way more for than any rational person should has been hanging on your door for a month because your little impulse buy seemed lovely at the time. But now you realize you have no where to wear it and are afraid to stick out as over-dressed or stuffy. So you leave it to collect dust in the back of your closet and once again, slip into an outfit with about as much “bang” to it as Grandma Jonson’s cat-carrier. Leaving your dress to collect dust.
It is true that a neglected box of low carb powdered “chocolate cake” mix can be found sulking in a dark corner of Whole Foods Supermarket, and for someone who makes a habit of binging on cardboard, this will suffice as a replacement for dessert. And the truth that if you hold out long enough, someone is bound to get married, ask you out on a date, or invite you to a holiday party to which you can finally wear that work of art you so lovingly refer to as your favorite over-indulgent dress, is also maintained.
   But I believe in wearing the dress, slapping a napkin into your lap (to avoid the atrocious scenario of staining its fabric) picking up your fork and digging into that euphoric slice of chocolate cake, not once letting a whisper of how bad it is for you to ever find its way across your mind.
   Life should be enjoyed! Not resented or tolerated.
The pleasure of losing yourself in an artfully prepared piece of chocolate cake is infinitely more valuable than sticking to a diet that leaves your stomach rumbling and your will power waning. And feeling like a princess in your favorite outfit is miles more fulfilling than giving a hoot about whether or not people think you look over dressed.
   The nitty-gritty of my belief of eating the cake or wearing the dress is this. Find what makes you happy, do it so long as no one is harmed, and call it a day. You can hop on a tread mill or change into a more comfortable outfit when you get home, but in the moment, just enjoy.
   Every day people bypass the fun stuff to do what will make them look better, earn them more money, or impress their peers. But I can’t help but think, “what kind of life is that?”; That is a life that needs a bite of cake.