TRADITION: AM I GOOD ENOUGH FOR THE COOKIE?
TRADITION: AM I GOOD ENOUGH FOR THE COOKIE?
I sit and reflect on this new professional season I’ve just entered. If you asked me two years ago if I would leave the corporate world for desserts, flowers and watercolor, instant panic would have kicked in. Internal chaos would ensue and my armpits would have started sweating instantly (a personal tell).
Corporate was comfort, despite the steady stream of stress it produced and the constant feeling of not being good enough. (The paradox of dysfunction as “comfort” is another conversation for another day.)
Two years later, it’s a little after 9 AM and my day is scheduled full of final product touches for our holiday launch–a quick follow on the heels of Thanksgiving orders and Christmas tree farm events. For our first month, we’ve had good success, and still, I wonder if I’m good enough for the cookie.
Imposter Syndrome is the gift that keeps on giving. It sits on my shoulder tap, tap, tapping with its constant observation of what isn’t quite right. It’s judgy, observant to only the imperfect and keeps a solid record of mistakes. I loath her, and yet, I find that even in the midst of creating joy for others, her presence is evident and painful.
She asks: “Are you qualified to make that cookie and good enough to sell it?”
I said to a customer as I handed them their Ooey Gooey Dark Chocolate Caramel Oatmeal Bar, “You can be mad before you take a bite, in between bites and even once it’s finished, but it’s impossible to be joyless when you’re eating something so delightful.”
I stand by this truth, a firm supporter of our tagline: Where Joy + Sweet Meet. I also believe it’s why Christmas cookie making has become a standard tradition worldwide. Sugar is art in bitesize form, and we were created to create. It is joyful and life-giving, something each of us needs in every season of life.
Stanford University studies show the correlation between cultivated joy, rooted in gratitude, and personal well-being. Despite difficult circumstances, intentional joy is essential for positive well-being, aiding in physical recovery and increased emotional resilience overall.
That’s why on Monday, I’ll pack up my mixer and list of ingredients, drive the twenty minutes to my parents and join my mom and sisters for our annual bake day. Together, we’ll bake old and new recipes, sharing stories and delectables. And the sweetest part, we’ll make boxes for friends to enJOY. On that day, I’ll feel good enough for the cookie, because my why will be rooted in decades of tradition that started long before I was born.
When “you belong” is YOUR “why,” we find personal value. That’s a choice–to give it and to accept it. It’s also why–when asked the question, “Are you qualified to make that cookie and good enough to sell it?”–my resounding response is…
“Yes.”
Because we need more people creating spaces that make room for everyone without hesitation. This is the best gift we can give this holiday…that and maybe a cookie or two.
Check out our Joy + Jolly Holiday Collection, and order yours today. Maybe even throw in an extra for a friend who needs a little sweet this season.
Cheers -
M.