I have a confession to make. From the very first time I ever heard of the Slice of Life Story Challenge up to this very moment, it makes me think about food. That first time, I think it was a slice of pumpkin pie that I envisioned. I totally had to laugh at myself a bit, but as time has gone by and I still get a mental picture of some sweet treat as I read the words slice of life, I have to accept that the phrase equates with sweetness for me.
Whenever I am just getting ready to write a slice of life, flashes of pies, cakes, and all sorts of delicious treats dart through my mind's eye. One good thing is that it is only a flash, and then I am able to think straight and get to writing. That couple of seconds is quite tempting though. I'm surprised at my self restraint for not writing only about sweet treats each week, or better yet, I am really surprised that eating desserts as part of my slice writing routine hasn't become a thing.
Making a connection between slices of desserts and the windows into daily life that we call slices isn't too much a stretch though. If nothing else, this natural association proves to me to what depth my mind thinks along poetical/metaphorical/symbolic pathways. We all know that life is not always sweet. That is not what I'm trying to say.
For many people, like myself, dessert would be considered a viable main course option if it weren't a terribly unhealthy way to nourish our bodies. I grew up in a home where treats were homemade and imported from stores by the mound. Besides the staple sweet breads, cookies, and other baked goods, my mom made the most delightful divinity and peanut brittle when I was really young, before her life became too hectic to take the time for that stuff. Her divinity was so good that even though I haven't had her version in over twenty years, nothing can compare. And let's not get me started on See's candies. Dude. I love that stuff. And I make a delectable pumpkin pie (that's the one I saw in my flash of a dream that first day of slicing). I could go on forever about desserts; I only wish it weren't so bad for our bodies to indulge in these lovely sweets with our meals more often. Alas, partaking of sweets too much and too often is unhealthy, but that is possibly what makes them so very good. We always want more of what we can't have.
And that is where life ties in with desserts. At a glance, it would be a dream come true if all we ever had were trips to Disneyland and ice cream, cakes, and bon bons while watching favorite movies on a purple chaise lounge in the softest satin night gown with a gentle bre... Wait. Excuse my sweet reverie there for a sec. I mean, wouldn't it be great if we didn't have any of those unsavory problems that keep us from eating those bon bons on a chaise lounge? I don't think so. Call me crazy, but I think the lessons we learn from the every day meat of life--problems, trials, learning curves, etc.--are the most nourishing to our souls. That doesn't mean our problems are the best part of life, no. Yet, it does mean that the happy times are made all the sweeter when we are able to partake of them.
Not all of my slices of life are of the sweet variety, but because I choose to write about that moment in time or aspect of life, it provides an opportunity to go back and savor either the actual slice or the lesson which taught me something delicious. Whenever I think about all the heartbreak I've had the pleasure of writing about, I realize that the sadness helps me enjoy smaller kindnesses than I used to. I took many little things for granted since they were just part of life. By taking a slice out and setting it on a plate for all to read, we are inviting others to stop taking for granted the little things and really enjoy it.
It is safe to say that the slices of our lives are the best parts of our existence; therefore, pass me one of those cupcakes over there.
