There are plenty of people out there who don’t exactly know what brings them pleasure (see previous post).  I find sometimes I forget myself.  So I’m taking this opportunity to jot down another thing that brings me pleasure so I can remember when I’m having a down day and wondering how to cheer myself up:  I love cooking for someone else.

Notice I didn’t say simply “I love cooking.”  I mean, I do love cooking – the chopping and dicing,  the measuring, the improvising.  But there’s something different about cooking for someone else.  I love seeing a friend walk through the door with a freer spirit knowing that tonight’s dinner is taken care of – and she didn’t have to pay for it or cook it herself.  My ulterior motive is the smile of enjoyment that creeps across a friend’s face as she takes the first bite, the words of praise and thanks, and the wonderful conversation that can only be had between friends in the comfort of one’s home.

I have an old roommate who once said something along the lines of, “I ate the best when I lived with you.”  It wasn’t because I cooked for her all the time.  It was because, she said, “when I came home, and you were cooking, it motivated me to cook too.”  So the two of us would be in the kitchen making our own dinners having conversation about our day.  Sometimes she’d be cooking when I came home and invite me to partake, sometimes the roles would be reversed.  But that comment was one I took as a compliment – it made me feel wonderful that just by doing what I loved, I could inspire someone else.

Which leads me to my point (and I’ll be honest here – I wasn’t sure what my point WAS when I started this post!).  It’s been said before, but it’s worth repeating: doing what you love is not only good for you – it can make all those around you happier too:)

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For the best story I’ve ever read on this very topic, read this post from Ken Robert’s blog:

http://www.mildlycreative.com/2009/11/share-your-gifts/