He Runs, I Cook

Sometimes ideas for new cookies just come to me- and other times, I ask for help for ideas.  This week’s cookies were incredible.  I felt like making something with dark chocolate and M&M’s, and I had a leftover banana that I needed to use up- so I decided to make Banana Bread Chocolate Chip And Double Chocolate Chocolate Chip With M&M.  To be honest, the results were incredible!  These cookies were some of my favorites- nearly  some of the best I’ve ever made.  10 out of 10 hit it out of the park, no notes! The banana cookies were super easy, and I was even able to use up some leftover banana chips I had. The M&M cookies, well, who doesn’t love a cookie with M&Ms in them, and who doesn’t love a dark chocolate cookie?

Sometimes, it’s hard to get ideas for new cookies– after nearly 3 years of baking I’m running out of ideas that are appealing- so I’ve started asking for ideas.  The gym team suggested mint chocolate chip, biscoff, tiramisu, and peanut butter.  Honestly, none of those (except for maybe mint chocolate chip) would be on my top flavours list. 

TBH, I’m a little bit stumped by the tiramisu cookie suggestion.   It’s a bit of a challenge to conquer.

It also got me thinking of why I bake cookies and why cookie baking has become so important to me.  And that’s community and belonging.  

I wouldn’t necessarily call myself a people pleaser– but I do like to make people happy.  And cookies make people happy.  Food makes people happy and creates a common bond and community.  Cookies are a way that I can spread joy and spread a little bit of myself.   It’s nice to do something nice for other people and to give back to the people in the communities I belong to.

This week I’ve been thinking a lot about Community because in my day job I talk about belonging and what it means to truly belong somewhere within a workplace setting. Belonging is a fundamental human need- we are social beings and being part of something is what we all crave and what makes us human.  We all need to belong to something, and without some of the anchors and ties of our communities, it’s hard to know where we truly belong.

I’m especially reflecting on community because today Thomas had his last ever rugby league team training session. He started playing with the Botany Rams when he was just five years old, when he first started kindy at St. Bernard’s. We had only moved to Botany a couple of years before and we didn’t know any kids his age.  We wanted him to get to know other kids his age in our neighborhood- and to build connections and community.

In a few months,  he’ll be ten, and he’ll also be moving on to a new school with new friends and new challenges in a different part of town.. Now, part of me is really happy and excited for him but the other part of me is a little bit sad. 

In the same way that, for him, it’s a new chapter, it’s a new chapter for me as well.   As a mother of an only child,  his lasts are my lasts, and his firsts are also my firsts.  I’m not living vicariously through him but the joy and pain of having an only child, is knowing that once he’s done, I’m done.  So it’s his last ever rugby practice, and after five years of being in the Rams community, it’s my last ever rugby practice too.

For the five years that he’s played rugby, I’ve managed the team for four of them. I wasn’t sure I would ever be that type of mum, but somehow everything’s come together. I’ve been able to be the mum on the sidelines, at nearly every game, who is deeply involved with the team.  It’s interesting to come to this stage, to this landmark, to this milestone, and really reflect on everything that’s come before and really to look ahead to the future.

We’ve been part of the Rams community, and they’ve been part of ours.  We’ve watched our kids grow up and build relationships and connections. He’s played with many of the boys from school and many of the boys who live in the community or live in the neighbourhood but aren’t necessarily in our school community. I’ve gotten to know many of the people who are around Botany, if not by name but by face. 

I think I’m sadder than Thomas is about closing this chapter of his life.  I keep asking him if he wants to play next year and he is pretty consistent in saying no.  He’s pretty sure that he’s done.  

Ironically, I’ve never brought cookies to a Rams training session– and now, I guess I never will.  

I tend to only bring cookies to MY communities- pole and gym– sometimes work.  Ironically, I can’t imagine life without my pole community, I can’t imagine my last day going to Pole Class or saying goodbye.  I can’t imagine my last day at Jungle Botany either– and maybe that’s what community is all about.  It’s hard to say goodbye and move to what’s next.  But the great thing about community and places where you belong is that you’re never not connected to them, they always stay with you.