How To Make Things With Love

I had just made a big transition in my life, quitting my professional mental health position (which I had been involved in for 10 years) and now working the early morning shift at our local, quaint bakery, in Weaverville, NC. There were 3 of us there at 6am- Joshua, who managed all the bakers, Pinkey, (who, as the 'early morning' baker, arrived daily at 4am!) and myself, the "Front Girl".

Joshua and Pinkey were easy to love- so chipper in the early dark hours, singing to the "Carolina Furniture Concepts" radio commercials in unison, making jokes and having fun. I loved being around them- the joy they had was certainly contagious, and I got to pass that on to the early morning customers as they arrived for coffee.

I recall Pinkey's daily routine consisted of coming out from behind the swinging doors of the hot kitchen, kerchief on her head, apron covered in sugar and flour, smeared with egg. On her scrap of paper, she'd look at the glass front case at the cookie display and jot down what quantities needed to be made. I'd hand her a cup of cappuccino, her favorite, and she'd tell me about the 'little babies' that she'd made earlier- the muffins, the croissants, the coffee cake and cheese biscuits. She'd dote over the warm trays of goodies she presented to me, waving her hand over them protectively, wafting about the warm, lovely scent of baked wonders.

"The scones today are cranberry and walnut," she'd say with a smile and a little motherly pat above the scones. "The coffee cake turned out especially well this morning," she'd comment while I nodded. "Oh, and you tell the everyone that these rugelach cookies I made with love." I paused whenever she said that, which she often did when she referred to her products. Made with love? What did that mean? Of course I'd heard it before, "Made with Love!" but I'd never really thought about what that meant, until I saw Pinkey in action while she baked.

The girl would be singing, humming, dancing, cavorting, teasing and generally being in good spirits while she was in the kitchen. Her smile was as big as the sun, and her hands were beautiful- long fingers covered in dough that she'd been kneading and mixing, rolling and rationing. Pinkey completely threw herself into her baking: her hands were always touching and feeling the consistency of the dough, her mouth tasting a new icing recipe throughout the creative process, a little more this, a pinch more that, some nutmeg, and voila! A perfect croissant! A beautiful cheddar biscuit! A hint of ginger in the pumpkin bread? Yes, its even better than last time, Pinkey.

Her delight when I regaled her with stories of how people truly enjoyed and complimented her baking was always a favorite moment of mine. "I'm so glad that someone noticed how soft the oatmeal cookies were this time, and that they liked it," and her smile would liven up her eyes as she tucked away the mental notes.

What I learned from Pinkey, on how to make things with love, is that you must enjoy what it is you are doing. Play music, dance around, play while you're preparing and working on your task. When you enjoy what it is that you are doing, you pay attention to the little things, like tasting to ensure there is not too much salt in the mix, or turning the baking pan around mid-cycle in the oven to ensure even cooking. When you make something with love, your intention is to create something worthy- usually for another person, or group of people, like your family and friends. You delight in being able to offer your very best product, to have your loved one's eyes sparkle with anticipation for what you're about to bestow. You take the time to pay attention, to be thoughtful in each step (perhaps the potato pieces should be a bit smaller for fitting into my child's mouth when she takes a bite of this home-made soup), to rejoice in your task and smile as you go. You embellish your finished piece with final touches, because it requires a lovely presentation for all that love you put in there and are about to share with others.

The moment comes when its time to unveil your masterpiece: home-made chocolate chip cookies, still warm from the oven so that the chocolate melts when you break one open.

It is my hope that, as I become more thoughtful, I will be able to make each meal with love, instead of it being a required task. Perhaps one day, I may even be able to clean out the spiders in my basement with love. I'm still working on that one, Pinkey.