Have You Had Your Hot Fudge Today?

I mentioned this quote in an earlier post---my great aunt had it written on a little slate in her entry way. She died of cancer when I was 11, but my mom has kept the slate and handwriting on it intact since then.

I was really lucky to have Deedy living in my neighborhood so I could ride my bike over there whenever I wanted to. The great thing about her was that she let Jen (my sis) and me do whatever we wanted without worrying about making a mess or eating too much or staying up too late. She didn't care about what people thought of her, and she loved to make things and give things away, and she made the best bread I've ever had. We did things like hike up a gully and try and catch tadpoles out of a pond (she tried using a rake---it didn't work). We did craft and art projects---painting and gluing real crafts she herself did, not just the kid stuff. We made caramel corn and usually remembered to put the bowl under the popcorn popper before we left the room to do something else (!)
She had an organ in her house that she didn't know how to play, and for a span of time, her son left his pet tarantula on her dining room table while he was out of town---She stopped using the dining room. She had a pool, and a creek with a bridge, and fun old lady friends---except Peggy. When Peggy pulled in the driveway, we would all hide in the dark on the floor in the den so she wouldn't know we were there, and couldn't see us when she peeked in the windows. Whenever my parents left us with Deedy, she would call after them as they walked out the door, "You kids have fun!"

Why am I telling you this?
Deedy's slate----Have you had your hot fudge today?---- was perfectly aligned with the way she lived her life. She enjoyed simple pleasures, and she had such a breezy beautiful way of floating through life (except the times she forgot the garage door was still down, and backed through it!).

I was only 11 when Deedy died, but I used to walk to her house after school and see her before she became too sick. She was never negative, even when she was dying, and she was always always happy to see me and listen to me talk about my pre-teen nonsense.

When I get stressed out or sad, I try and think of my perspective on life and what is really important. If I don't make the time to do the things I enjoy or spend time with people I love, then there really isn't much point in whatever else I'm doing. Deedy was the first person to really demonstrate that message to me by just living it.

Ask yourself---what is your "hot fudge"? Do you make time for it everyday?

If not, you should.