Although Marie Antoinette may not have actually said those four little words to the starving of France, I figured out the other day her meaning … if she were to have said them.
Cake is a foundation, cake is … regular, sustaining, unexciting. It is survival.
If Ms. Antoinette were to have said, “let them eat cake,” what I believe she would have been communicating was … they are just commoners, all they need is cake, so let them eat cake.”
By inference, what I think would have been inferred was, “they do not need icing.”
Icing is the sweet stuff, the extra goodness on top of that survival cake. Icing is the joy of life, the extras.
On the weekend I had to get groceries, but was desperately wanting a dinner date too. Due to timing of the must-do’s, we ended up with cupboards and fridge full of food, and a grocery store pizza for dinner … all cake, no icing.
Recently someone told me that it is important to “pay yourself” in the midst of paying bills. I wanted to laugh in his face, for it seemed ridiculous to spend money on me when there were so many other needs to cover. But as his words have been resonating in my mind, I have started to get what he meant. To not pay oneself (and I don’t mean by wracking up insane credit card bills) is to survive … to live off of just the cake … sans icing.
In a year when I am striving towards balance, maybe this icing concept needs to be further explored and considered …
Whether it is time, or money, or passions we need to do more than just survive, we need to live, to thrive!
Let us eat cake … and icing too!
