Not having cake and and not eating it too

I can imagine that you might think that the title of my blog is about dieting. But it isn't. While living in India, and attending church with the local Indian population, I have learned that the foreigners that live here, myself included, seem to be the only ones with ovens in their kitchens. When I go to church, they think it such a treat if I bring a baked good. So rare is it for them to have home made baked treats, that they never have just one. They take for themselves to eat right then, and then they turn around and pile their plates with more to take home to their families. I never, ever leave church with left overs if it is something that came from my oven. I wondered why they would load their plates with dessert every time I brought it until it occurred to me that it's because they don't have ovens in their homes...thus, they don't bake. If they ever get cake or cookies, it's because they bought them at the store and brought them home. That luxery doesn't happen often, as bakery goods cost a lot for them here.

I baked cup cakes for my Inidan maid, Sanjana on her birthday. She cried as our family sang "Happy Birthday" to her. I asked her why the tears, she said that her family has never celebrated her birthday before like this, with cake and a song. She was very touched.

What caused me to write today is my darling little piano student Sophie. Sophie is a petite, ten year old Indian girl. I teach her piano lessons on Saturday mornings. Her family can't afford the piano lessons, so I don't charge them, because why should I? I don't need the income, and she has talent. Why let it go to waste? I love Sophie because she learns quickly, has an obvious talent and understanding musically, and wants to learn. I was touched however, when her father told me that it was her birthday on Friday, but he could not buy her a birthday cake due to lack of funds. I was so sad to hear that...because whipping up a birthday cake is so easy for me. I could have done that for her so easily. Isn't that amazing how we live in our homes, we have ovens, and microwaves and all the conveniences of a kitchen, and we forget how the other 95 percent of the world lives....with out ovens and microwaves. They are lucky to have a gas stove, and often struggle to cover the purchase of a gas tank each month. Those who can't afford that, gather wood and cook over an open fire. Yes...they still do that. Here in India. I am sure they do that in many other parts of the world making it difficult to even imagine making birthday cakes for their children. So....next time you have your cake and eat it too. Think of the many, who don't have their cake, and will not eat it too.