When I was a little girl, I was obsessed with the Cookie Monster. OBSESSED!!! So, when Cookie Monster and the rest of the Sesame Street gang came to Jackson, my mama made certain I got to go. I was so excited the entire ride there. I was so passionate about meeting him. So, when I finally came face to face with him, I was terrified, ran for my life, and nothing could make me go back. The passion was gone. But isn’t that how it always is with kids?
Every time I see one of Presley Steed’s cookie collections, I am reminded of the Cookie Monster. She’s kinda a local legend in the cookie world. Cookies are her passion. It’s is human nature to search for a personal passion in something. We long to attach ourselves to something or an activity that brings us happiness. I love to write. It’s my passion. With each literary piece, I pick apart every sentence, analyze the tone, find every error and promise myself I’ll be better. It is our passion that makes us happy; yet it is also the passion that can torment you.
I sometimes become so frustrated with my craft, my passion, that I want to throw my hands in the air, walk away from the keyboard and find something else to do. I do this about once a week, almost after every blog. But nothing ever pans out for me. I am a helpless suffering writer. I will probably never be rich from it. I most certainly will never be famous from it. But, still, it is my passion. It is my greatest source of happiness outside my family. So, here I am, sitting and typing away on this blog.
Speaking with Presley about her cookies; and the long hours she puts in every week on them, I can see the flame of her passion burning bright. Sure, they are more work than she ever anticipated. But four years ago, while celebrating the birth of her baby girl, her passion was also born. So, for the rest of her life, those cookies will be there, exciting her, calling her and tormenting her. She will scour over each decorative detail. She will over-analyze each flaw. She may even get frustrated and try to branch off on to something else. But nothing will fulfill her like the passion she has for cookies.
This lifetime doesn’t last very long. But when you have nothing that excites you, it can seem like an eternity. The yearning for exhilaration and accomplishment is what continually drives us to experiment and educate ourselves. It is what molds us as maturing adults. Without the passion, we have no real sense of success. I am sure there are days when Tami Hawkins (our local watercolor wander) throws the paintbrush down, vowing to never pick it up again. But, still, she does because life without passion is life without color. Jonathan McGuire (our local wood craftsman) probably slings the saw down with each project. But, he will always pick it back up, carving out his niche in life.
So, does passion equal riches. Why, yes it does. It doesn’t necessarily bring about the monetary riches this world seems to measure everything by. But the feeling you get when someone is touched by something you are passionate about is immeasurable. One’s passion for something has given the world Apple Computers, life-saving organ transplants, the Sistine Chapel, and the ’68 Shelby Mustang GT. Tami’s passion has captured small moments in time and made them beautiful works of art. Presley’s passion has given brought smiles to hundreds of brides, birthday boys and expectant mothers all around. Whether deemed big or small, rich or poor, it is the passionate flint living within each person that ignited such a significant flame.
Must we sometimes work “normal” jobs to provide for ourselves? Yes. Life isn’t fair. But, we must always take the time to cultivate the passion that dwells within us. We must remember that it is the passion within us that separates us from the others. It is our signature card. And it is what will be branded into the path we take through this life.
In honor of my friend Presley; and my long-lost passion for the Cookie Monster, I am including a simple cookie recipe that my mama used to make for me. She called them Cocoon Cookies, but they’re also called Italian Wedding Cookies.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups finely ground almonds or pecans
- 4 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar for rolling
Directions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
- Cream butter or margarine in a bowl, gradually add confectioners’ sugar and salt. Beat until light and fluffy. Add almonds and vanilla. Blend in flour gradually and mix well.
- Shape into balls (or crescents) using about 1 teaspoon for each cookie. Place on ungreased cookie sheets, and bake for 15-20 min. Do not brown. Cool slightly, then roll in the extra confectioners’ sugar.
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Printed From Allrecipes.com 2/6/2020
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