Recipes of life

Just a few days ago a friend of mine, Marci, offered me a starter for some Amish Friendship Bread. I couldn’t say no…I love this bread so much! In fact, the first time I’d ever had it was when I was living in Spokane, Washington and I was wondering why I’d never heard of this stuff before.

This afternoon, as I was putting all of the ingredients together, I got to thinking…just how good would this bread really be without salt? Without the sugar? How about the hordes of minuscule cultures festering in that milky-colored colony of microbes? No, the bread wouldn’t be nearly as good without the individual ingredients in the proper amounts. It just wouldn’t taste…right.

Friendships, as well as relationships with our family members, all need different ingredients added to the recipe if we want them to turn out and taste “just right.” I can think of many “recipes” I’ve spoiled in the past…too much soy sauce in that cake batter or a little bit too much sugar in the mashed potatoes.

Since not all recipes require the exact same ingredients, neither do all of our relationships. Right now the theme song from “Different Strokes” is echoing through my head:

”Now the world don’t move to the beat of just one drum. What might be right for you may not be right for some.”

However, many recipes do call for a few basic ingredients, as so do our friendships with others. Without these vital parts, the relationship won’t turn out nearly as good as it could have been.

“For of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these, ‘It might have been.’”

- John Whittier

Let us double-check our recipe books before adding in something which we might later regret.

P.S. I have a few friendship starters here for anyone who might be interested…