So Long Self Control

From the time Sister Winfred Jones was my Sunday school teacher, I’ve been taught about the Fruits of the Spirit. Since fruit is my favorite food group, I’d like to work my way through each of the Fruits.

First, there is LOVE. I must immediately break out in song now singing completely out of tune, “Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world…” Anna loves Poppy. Poppy loves Jesus. Jesus loves me. I love shoes, handbags, and lip gloss.

Second is PEACE. Surely this needs no explanation as the symbol is more than prevalent in every girls’ store across the country. When I think of peace, I think about the beaches of Kuaii, the mountains of Colorado, or the sound of my precious baby brother mowing my lawn.

Next is FAITHFULNESS. Say this word to a man and they think you’re speaking pig Latin. Say this word to preacher, and he asks why you only show up Sunday morning. Say this to my dear friend Brandy, and we immediately schedule a date as to not miss a single Clinique bonus time.

Now on to JOY. Joy might be my very most favorite of the fruits. Today, while procrastinating from homework, I came across a picture of my amazing cousin, Justin, and his beautiful little girl, Presley. They were hugged up and laughing without a care in the world… the epitome of joy.

Then there is GOODNESS. This word has contributed most to my life in the form of language; OH! MY! GOODNESS!

GENTLENESS. This is the way my sweet little sister in the sorority handles her shoes; all kept nice, neat, and good as new in their original boxes. Neeley, you are inspiration to us all.

On to PATIENCE. I don’t know why this is considered a fruit. Its more like a bitter, rotten vegetable with maggots on the inside. I had to check three times to make sure I spelled patience correctly since its not a fruit I EVER deal with unless I have no other option. For example, waiting for Edward, Jacob and Bella to show up on the big screen isn’t anything I can rush.

We can’t forget KINDNESS. I really like this fruit, quite possibly my favorite. It’s like the strawberry of the spirit. Just like a pint of strawberries sometimes is tainted with rot, my kindness is sometimes tarnished, but I find I’m much happier when I show kindness to others and when they show kindness to me. “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.” - Bambi

Last, and quite possibly the most difficult fruit to swallow for the general public is the ever-dreaded SELF CONTROL. We each suffer from a different nemesis. I’ve found the easiest way for me to practice self control is to stay completely away from the things I can’t resist; using the ‘out of sight, out of mind” philosophy. That being said, I can generally restrain myself from completely hoarding out on all the food groups… except for the small little sections devoted to ‘sugars.’ Fortunately, the Lord promises a way out of temptation, for me that avenue is chocolate. Don’t want it, don’t care for it, I don’t even think twice about it. Additionally, when I indulge in sweets, I don’t like foods like fudge that are so rich that a single bite does the trick. I need something a little blander that I can indulge in a whole serving or three or four.

In cooperation with my summer project of making new recipes everyday, though, it’s not particularly clever to make the desserts I crave because, as explained, I lack self control. Instead I bake things I don’t really care for and work to fatten up everyone else around. It was suggested that I make something really sweet and rich, and thus the chocolate caramel cake was inspired. Two layers of chocolate cake, coated in chocolate frosting, and drizzled with caramel glaze. To tasters, delicious. To me, an excellent display of self control.