Once upon a time, there was a lady who wasn't very crafty or talented in the kitchen. She loved her husband and she loved her son, and she thought she was a good wife and a good mother, but she wasn't winning any Martha Stewart awards, if you know what I mean.
Her husband had a Christmas potluck coming up at work, so the lady and her husband decided they would bake some delicious sugar cookies her mother had served at Thanksgiving. It turns out that the cookies were from a mix, which was even more convenient for this lady, who was caring for a toddler and was also pregnant. How hard could it be to add a stick of butter, an egg, and throw it all in the oven?
The cookies took much longer to cook than the instructions said, and the lady realized that she had probably made them too big, which she often did when she was lazy or in a hurry. Eventually, the cookies were done, but they were too flat and not very pretty to look at. The husband, understanding as he was, wrapped them up and took them to work, telling his wife that his co-workers would think that he made them. He also pointed out that the instructions on the box said the mix made 36 2-inch cookies, when the lady had managed only 12.
Embarrassed by her efforts, the lady decided to tackle the mix again, paying better attention this time around. She was able to eek out 25 small cookies from the dough, which isn't exactly 36, but it's a lot better than 12.
As she worked, the phone rang, and a man identified himself as an employee of a company that delivers cookies. He said that someone had ordered a gift of cookies to be sent to the lady, and he just needed to verify her address.
Thinking this was some kind of cruel joke, the lady asked who it was that sent the gift. The man mentioned the name of a woman in her playgroup, who just recently had a new baby. While the mom was giving birth, by successful VBAC nonetheless, the lady was caring for the mom's older son. This was her way of saying thank you! And what a wonderful way it was! The lady was so overjoyed and touched that tears came to her eyes as she experienced the miracle of Christmas cookies!
So you see, boys and girls, it doesn't matter if your cookies are too big, too small, too ugly, or too pretty. What matters most is helping a friend in need, which is the best thing you can do for someone, no matter what time of year it is. If you are a good friend to someone, you will be rewarded for your efforts when you least expect it, and just maybe, when you need it very most. Just like the lady in the story.
