Life is a Piece of Cake
August 6, 2008 by Lillie
Have a bite of flour.
Yuck!
A little baking soda, then?
Blech!
How about a raw egg?
Ick!
A spoonful of cooking oil?
Nasty!
Maybe a little sugar? A nip of vanilla? A bit of chocolate?
Yeah, those sound good … but all by themselves?
The individual ingredients aren’t very appetizing, yet when they are mixed together and cooked in a hot oven, they come together to form a beautiful and mouth-watering cake.
Ahh … taste that sweet, rich flavor. The creamy smooth frosting, the moist goodness of the cake.
The individual ingredients of life often aren’t very appetizing, either. The yucky flour might be failure, the icky egg pain, the nasty cooking oil loss and grief. The sweetness of love, the tastiness of success, the flavor of joy are wonderful … but all by themselves?
Yet mixed together throughout a lifetime and cooked through heat and pressure, the failure, pain, and loss combine with the love, success, and joy to form a rich and lovely life.
Each of our lives is a piece of cake, and together are lives are a beautiful and mouth-watering cake.
This post is an entry What I Learned From … Metaphors for Life, this month’s group writing project and Middle Zone Musings.
Wonderful and somewhat mouth-watering metaphor, Lillie! You know, you’re absolutely right, though – when each of those things is considered outside the whole, they become, well, far more negative. Even the bittersweet chocolate used in baking isn’t good by itself.
But when blended in the right proportions – well, pass me the plate!
Thanks for the contribution, Lillie – you done good!
Cheers!
Robert Hruzeks last blog post..Life is a Game of Dodge Ball
Oh, this is a beautiful analogy! I may have to borrow it sometime . . .
Excellent post, as always.
Thanks, Robert. You can tell I’m a dessert lover.
Renae,
Borrow anytime. In fact, I adapted the analogy from a story I’ve heard in response to the question of why God lets bad things happen to good people.
Oh, not only is this an awesome analogy, but you are responsible for my growling tummy now. Coffee here I come.
Love it!
Lillie, What a wonderful metaphor! Taking the bad with the good is easier said than done, but let’s keep words like yours in mind when things go awry.
Brad Shorrs last blog post..Guest Post on Joyful Jubilant Learning
Love it Lillie. This really made me think. Thank you.
I have been struggling with my own pst for Bob – but I am just putting the finishing touches to it to make the deadline!
Jackie Camerons last blog post..Word of the week – ethics
Yum! Then again, separately these ingredients can taste awful. I wonder how many of us embrace the individual elements of our lives (including bad news and tragedy)? For without those, our cake wouldn’t be complete.
Matt Keegans last blog post..You Can Make A Difference!
Lillie, what a wonderful metaphor, and so beautifully written. Thanks
Joanna Youngs last blog post..Life Is: A Group Writing Project
Joanna,
Thank you. I’m glad you like it.
Yummy!
You did a great job of describing life and making me hungry at the same time.
Thanks Lillie!
Hello, this look really tasty! Thanks a lot for the gread article. Good luck!
Laura,
I made myself hungry when I was writing … and that luscious picture didn’t help.
A. Smith,
Doesn’t that cake make your mouth water? Hope life is as mouth-watering!
[...] Life is a Piece of Cake, by Lillie Amman at A Writer’s Words, An Editor’s Eye [...]
Stop being so damn practical, Lillie. That’s lovely. :sniffle:
There are some great metaphors at Middle Zone Musings. If you haven’t read them, pop over and take a look.
[...] Life is a Piece of Cake, by Lillie Amman at A Writer’s Words, An Editor’s Eye [...]
[...] Life is a Piece of Cake, by Lillie Amman at A Writer’s Words, An Editor’s Eye [...]
Ooh that’s made me hungry. Good metaphor. Thanks.
Harvey,
This picture and writing the post made me hungry, so it’s only fair my readers get hungry as well.
This is a great metaphor, and like all metaphors, can be extended indefinitely, because like life, the cake is a lie.
Atmosck,
As you say, all metaphors can be extended, which may be helpful but isn’t necessarily so.
Ohm,
I had the same experience writing it. You can tell I’m a person who loves to eat, especially sweets.
Brad,
It’s human nature to want good, easy, comfortable … but life won’t let us get by with only those things.
Jackie,
I’m looking forward to reading your entry. This is a thought-provoking exercise.
Matt,
I think most of us prefer the sugar to the raw eggs but—to mix metaphors—we can’t appreciate the sunshine unless we experience the storms.