Red Velvet Wednesday

What is the recipe for a happy life?  For me, it's family, friends, wonderful neighbors, and the occasional frequent baked good.  So when my husband's job announced they were sending us to live on the other side of the country for 3 months, it looked as though my life's recipe had been scribbled on with a black magic marker by my toddler.  For 3 months I would be without my family, friends, and neighbors.  No Sunday dinners, no play dates, no random knocks at my door to find an abandoned plate of cookies.  How would I survive?

We packed up and shipped ourselves to downtown Chicago where I seemed to be the only one pushing a stroller through the streets filled with businessmen and women.  While they wore slacks, high heels, and ties, they managed to sprint to their next meeting and talk on their cell phones, while somehow drowning out the deafening screeches of the elevated train. 

Everything was so fast-paced and overwhelming, and I felt as though I was totally alone.  My husband worked close to 12-hour days, so it was just me and my 9-month old baby girl, taking on Chicago 1 day at a time, missing home like crazy, counting the days I would be able to see a familiar face again.  

Luckily, the Lord knew to send me somewhere that contained at least 1 key ingredient to my recipe for happiness.  About 2 miles away from our corporate housing was my little piece of heaven, Sprinkles Cupcakes.  Because we didn't have a car in the city, every Wednesday I would trek 2 miles pushing a stroller to Sprinkles, and 2 miles back to the apartment in the heavy humidity.  I was a sweaty, unattractive mess when it was over, but my prize was a single red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting.  One bite would mean I was 1 more week closer to going home.  Another bite told me that the Lord provides us with little ways to cheer ourselves up.  My final bite allowed me to have something to always look forward for the next Wednesday.  

We are finished with our Chicago adventure now, and coming home gives me back all my ingredients.  Life still has it's challenges and sometimes they feel too difficult to take on.  That's why it's so important to have other versions of Red Velvet Wednesdays.  Something to look forward to and trying to find the good that the Lord puts in my life.  A reason to celebrate surviving another week of trials.

Marci