A Boulangerie is a bakery which sells breads and rolls.
A Pâtisserie is a French bakery that specializes in pastries and sweets.

MY FRIEND ANN AND I walk two miles to the nearby gourmet grocery store. Contained within the store, resides a most decadent Boulangerie. The bakery also sells pastries and sweets, making it a Patisserie as well. One day, we decided to satisfy our craving for sweets, so Ann ordered a large cinnamon roll.

The clerk asked, "Would you like that heated and covered in butter?"

Ann and I both looked at one another and in unison responded, "Of course! Isn't everything better heated and covered in butter?" Laughing at the excessive indulgence, I realized that we taste life as plain little necessities, instead of indulging in everyday experiences more warmly and engulfed in goodness!

The Store of Life
While a Boulangerie makes the basics of life - breads and rolls - the Patisserie offers the luxuries we enjoy. All too often, we settle for the basics and deny ourselves the wonder of the possibilities of the flavors life offers us. Sure, the staple of grains supports and nourishes us, and the sweet treats satisfy our fancy for more than we need, from time to time.

When we look at our lives, most of us remain content with our basic necessities and offer gratitude and thanks for our health - physical, emotional and spiritual. Sometimes we take our basics for granted and life serves up a plateful of lessons to remind us to appreciate our daily bread.

Enjoying and even indulging in the sweet treasures that life offers us whether in food, relationships, success, or peace of mind, we recognize that while this is available to us at all times, we rarely stop to consider that it, too, could be a regular experience.

Heated
Heat excites molecules, inspires passion and creates pressure, too. When we heat up the basics in life, they come to us more satisfying. There is nothing so bland as cold or frozen bread, just as the affects of distant or detached relationships provide no nutrition for the growth of our soul. Deliberately walking up to the storefront of life and ordering mediocrity speaks volumes to the universe about our sense of self worth and willingness to settle for whatever life dishes out.

Resigning oneself to the reasonable and acceptable, is like slipping on an oven mitt to protect us from either the danger of a heated moment or the pleasure of the warmth of life. We stand to gain a lot by removing the gloves of complacency and basking in excitement and satisfaction in our daily lives! So, heat it up!

Covered In Butter
Butter. Long touted as bad for our arteries, our heart and countless other medical treacheries, creamy butter provides a natural dollop of delight on our ordinary blue plate specials. Whether coating fresh corn on the cob or adorning a sweet roll, we associate butter with the ultimate in simple pleasures. Although modern manufacture attempted to replicate the taste and texture of real butter, nothing replaces the delightful dairy product.

As kids we'd ask for ice cream with "whipped cream and a cherry on top." Somehow this request grew from a possibility to an expectation when served up in a favorite soda shop. As adults, we request our experiences as gentle guides, hoping to survive and muddle through the day. If we dared to ask Spirit to serve us situations with the opportunity to be engulfed by natural delights, our expectations would heighten and we'd soon evolve to request the best at all times.

Just the Way We Like It
When we express gratitude for our basics in life, we appreciate the sweet indulgences we enjoy from time to time. Whether stepping into a Boulangerie or Patisserie, we place our order with the Infinite for exactly what we want - what we think we deserve. As we mature spiritually, we move from the mere bare necessities of life, to daring our indulgence in something that heightens our taste for deeper experiences and a more passionate existence.

So, heat up your appetite for possibilities and slather on the highest good you can think of and take a huge bite out of life!

© Marlene Buffa, 2009

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Taking a quiet sideways glance at life, Marlene Buffa offers us insight through her words and experiences. A student of new-thought teachings, Marlene finds practical spirituality around every corner and seeks wisdom through observation of life’s inter-relationships. Sometimes playful, sometimes poignant, always thought-provoking, her works inspire her readers in meaningful ways.

www.wordsofmind.com