Debra Franke writer/poet/photographer
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Gingerbread Love: Spread It Around

December 20, 2017
Gingerbread Love: Spread It Around

Dear friends ~~ it’s been a few days of sugar cookies and gingerbread baking in our home. It’s the first time in years that I baked at Christmas time. My mom always made amazing favourites over the years–gingerbread, hazelnut, chocolate, and more, but I never picked up the tradition. In the last couple of months, things changed a little … it started out with baking pies. First pumpkin, then apple. How much more simple it felt to mix flour and butter and sugar, and knead dough with my bare hands, than to go through everyday life stresses and worries. Once I had pastry started, the mood continued, as I kept looking for new recipes for pastry crusts and fillings.

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Then we got our Christmas tree up, and my one housemate surprised us with lots of Christmas decorations (which totally brightened our hearts and living room) and my other housemate made all kinds of colourful ribbon-lace bows for our tree, and soon the merry cheer of the holiday spirit hit me in a way I have not felt for years. Also, it really helped that I’ve been running this year (5 km runs), and when I run at night watching the snow fall under street lights and over Christmas lights on beautiful brick houses, the spirit of Christmas is under my feet and in my heart. I’m not running ‘in’ the snow, but rather ‘with’ the snow.

But most of all, what lifted my spirits last night, was having two of our neighbours over to decorate gingerbread cookies with us. We had made the icing (white, red, and green) and we were planning to take some cookies next door as a gift, when we suddenly realized how much nicer it would be to have our friends over to decorate their own cookies. Shortly after, they joined us with a box of clementines, and our housemate shared bowls of ice cream, and many gingerbread cookies were decorated and eaten.

One of our neighbours has been through a lot of struggles in his life, and is particularly happy this holiday season to be living in his new-found home. He has seen his share of hurt and loneliness, and having him with us felt right. It made our house feel a little bit warmer and cozier. Especially when, as he was decorating his first gingerbread man, he looked up at us with trust in his eyes, and said “I’ve never done this before.”

His words took me completely by surprise. How could this even be possible?

“What?” I responded. “Never?”

He was serious. He said this was the first time he had sat and decorated the face and hat and buttons on a gingerbread man like this. And my heart felt a collage of emotions–sad, surprised, nostalgic–as I thought of year after year after year of growing up with my parents and my brother and holiday baking, and Christmas traditions, and gingerbread cookies to decorate and eat over the holidays (I still remember the wonderful smell of that gingerbread and icing when I took my first bite). And it was so hard for me to comprehend that here my friend was in our home, decorating his gingerbread man for the very first time ever.

This was a blessing I wasn’t expecting, and it deeply touched me. I was reminded of all I take for granted, and all that I have to be thankful for. This year I am so grateful that I got to sit at the table while our friend decorated his cookie for the first time, and gave a unique personality to that gingerbread man, and thoroughly enjoyed it. These simple things keep me going, and they remind me that I have an abundance in my life that I cannot even begin to understand, and that there is still hope in our world for new and better things, and for hurts to be healed, and for loneliness to be replaced with family and home.

Merry Christmas everyone. May you spread your gingerbread love this year anywhere and everywhere you can. I promise you, it will come back to you one hundred fold.

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Sugar cookies
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Gingerbread and sugar cookies
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Gingerbread and sugar cookies

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8 thoughts on “Gingerbread Love: Spread It Around”

  • Marlene Cornelis says:
    December 20, 2017 at 2:53 pm

    Oh, such a lovely, lovely post. There is such warmth and love in your writing … I’m so glad I’ve been introduced to your blog. Wishing you gingerbread love for Christmas and the whole year through.

    Reply
    • Away in Autumn says:
      December 20, 2017 at 4:30 pm

      Thank you so much Marlene, I am touched by your very kind words and that you enjoyed my blog post. Thank you for reading along. So glad to have you as part of my blog community. I enjoy your posts as well! Happy holidays to you and yours, and may you enjoy the love as well!

      Reply
  • Rhonda Sittig says:
    December 23, 2017 at 3:12 pm

    The best post Debra– thank you. It’s so wonderful- smart- warm & loving to realize having your neighbor sit and frost those cookies with you is better than dropping them off at his door. You taught me something important. Christmas blessings to you and your gingerbread filled home. xox

    Reply
    • Away in Autumn says:
      December 23, 2017 at 4:29 pm

      Thank you Rhonda. It blessed all of us, being together. We’re always learning right? Thanks for your kind words and for spreading the gingerbread love, and thanks for reading along. That means a lot.

      Reply
  • Pingback: Hygge for the Heart (and Holidays) - AWAY IN AUTUMN
  • Vesela Slav says:
    April 15, 2018 at 11:29 am

    That is some great gingerbread inspiration there. They look so nice that I would be hesitant to try to eat them! I may dare to eat a few though, after a minute of looking at this delight ;-).

    Thanks for sharing these beauties!

    Reply
    • Away in Autumn says:
      April 15, 2018 at 5:02 pm

      Thanks so much for your kind words and for stopping by. Yes, those gingerbread men were so sweet to look at, but even sweeter in my mouth! I appreciate your words, please come back again! 🙂

      Reply
  • Pingback: T’is The Season Of Ornaments And Love - Debra Franke

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About Me

I’m so glad you’re here. I’m a writer, poet, and creative, as well as dreamer, runner, and Librarian. I am an advocate for language, voice, and creative storytelling, and anyone facing mental illness, trauma, homelessness, and more. I have my MA (CW and Englist Lit) and my BA Honours in Psychology. I have been published in several Canadian literary magazines and I am working on completed two poetry manuscripts. Click here to find out more.

About Me

Writer/Poet/Creative, Photographer, Librarian, Dog Lover, Taco Enthusiast, and Advocate for those struggling with mental health, homelessness, trauma, and marginalization.

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Thank you for signing up! Feel free to write me anytime, to comment on posts, ask questions, or simply connect. I am so glad you are here.

In the meantime, here is the link to my Course page in case you want to browse the available workshops and courses: COURSES.

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Copyright © 2021 Debra Franke

Copyright © 2021 Debra Franke
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