November 12, 2023- The full chocolate cake, with frosting to match, fit the recipient’s taste to a tee. I recall this, as her choice of cake for my birthday gathering, six years ago, was this exact recipe. She got to keep the greater part of that cake, since there was only so much that I wanted to stick in my freezer for parceling out, over the subsequent days.

It had to be carefully choreographed, as this gathering in her birthday honour was following a business meeting, and was a follow-up to the surprise birthday party she had staged for her husband, a few weeks ago. He, of course, turned the tables, saying nothing about today’s surprise. It was a nice ending to a well-organized meeting.

There should be a place of honour for each soul, at the right time. Many go through life without so much as a stale crust of bread. They don’t complain, mostly because they have little strength. They deserve a place of honour, and will someday get it. Others go through life, squawking about every little slight-and letting the rest of us know just how much we have let them down. They deserve a place of honour, too, just not to the extent they tell themselves so. People like today’s birthday lady, though, have endured a fair amount of physical and emotional pain-and have walked through it, with little fanfare. Only when her loved ones’ safety is at risk, do the rest of us get put on notice about being extra careful.

Today was her time in the sun-and she got to keep the bulk of the cake this time, as well!