My husband teases me that I ‘always’ make chocolate chip cookies.  He did it just today… “Let me guess, you’re making chocolate chip?”   And the thing is, he’s right.  But I have a HUGE repertoire of chocolate chip cookies – and they’re all different.  They have different fat to sugar ratios, they use different techniques and leveners, they are scooped in different sizes and baked at different temperatures, some use great big milk chocolate chips, some use little tiny semi-sweet chocolate chips, some use toffee and some use oatmeal.  Not that I’m defensive about it, but THEY ARE ALL DIFFERENT. 

Those of you that know me know I love to make cookies.  I have made them part of my identity.  But lately I have thought a lot about why.  

I was working with a client recently about meeting her own needs.  She identified one of her ‘needs’ as self-care.  But when I pushed into that a little with her, she had a hard time identifying exactly how she would really like to take care of herself.  I don’t think this is a rare problem.  

We read things about self care and think it means extra sleep, better nutrition, going outside, slowing down, etc, and although I see the value in all of that, I like Kendra Adachi’s definition of self-care.  She says self-care is about finding and doing and making time for and honoring the things that help you feel like yourSELF.  

And that brings us back to cookies.  Chocolate chip cookies – and all the ways I get to creatively create them – are something that make me feel like mySELF.  On my worst day or my best day, they make it easier for me to think thoughts that invoke joy and comfort, satisfaction and service, love and rest.   

Gotta go – the oven timer’s going off!  Can’t wait to hear about what makes YOU feel like YOURself.