Master’s degree in love

I awarded my good friend Ariel a Master’s degree in love.  She’d already matriculated and completed the coursework long before I came around.  But it took the University of Laura-Marie to actually award it.

Ariel said it was her first Master’s degree, which is surprising.  I thought for sure she would already have earned them in Parenting, Visual Art, Crafting, and maybe Graphic Design.  Strange, how people are beyond amazing at things, with so little recognition.

birthday

Also it was her birthday.  We had a plan to bring over Indian food, and that went well.  Then I told Ming, “We should buy her a lil carrot cake.”  That’s her favorite.

Then I was like, “Oh!  We have carrots, fresh ginger, flour, maple syrup, baking powder and soda, spices…all the ingredients!”  The flour was a bit old, but it had been kept safely in the bottom drawer of the fridge, so it was still good.  We baked a vegan carrot ginger cake for her, and put cream cheese frosting on it.

In the process, we discovered that our grater was not a grater.  Ming threw it away, right after the cake was baked.  That horrible, dull, ineffective device did not deserve to be called a grater!   It was a sculpture that resembled a grater, but woe betide the fools who tried to grate a cup and a half of carrots and some ginger with it.

go to

“It’s really not that hard to make this cake, sweetheart,” I told Ming.  “As long as you have the proper equipment!”  I’ve baked that cake around 20 times–it was my go-to birthday cake, when I was vegan years ago, before I knew Ming.

We didn’t put walnuts in it, because one of her kids is allergic, and it needed more ginger for that spicy brightness.  But the texture was right, it was yummy, and it was proper to sing happy birthday over.  Also I prayed for Ariel, thanking Mother God for her greatness and asking for blessings.

conclusion

Community is possible.  Family is possible.  I’m lucky to be close to people who are skilled at love to the point of having a earned Master’s degree in love.

That I’m the one who awarded it doesn’t make it any less real.  Sometimes other people / institutions miss a very important fact, and I’m happy to rectify that.  Love is the most important skill I can think of, so let’s learn about it and practice!