"My Scrumptious Miracle"

Sometimes in life, you come across an article, which inspires you, and changes your life forever. This stands true for the Woman’s Day article and recipe that I had come across almost fifteen years ago. My June 2000 issue is my treasure, and I still have it to this day. I shall keep it safe and tucked away, until each July, when I excitedly whip it out to commence my creation. 

In April of 2000, when I was seventeen years old, a car going the wrong way down the highway, struck the vehicle I was a passenger in. The collision instantly broke my neck in three places, making me an incomplete quadriplegic. I was told by doctors that I would never walk again, and would have to wear a halo for many months and undergo dangerous spinal fusion surgery. My prognosis was that I would be paralyzed from the neck down; unable to move or feel anything for the rest of my life.  

While in the hospital for many months, my mother would bring me Woman’s Day magazines to read. I was not able to move my head for four months due to the restrictions of my halo, so I had to wear prism glasses. With these prism glasses, I was able to look straight ahead and still read my Woman’s Day, which lay on my lap in my hospital bed. Woman’s Day facilitated getting through the arduous hours of being bed-ridden and alone. When I came upon the June 2000 issue, I knew that it would change my life, and I believe it has inspired me to get me to where I am today. 

On the cover of the Woman’s Day June 2000 issue, was a gorgeous summer beach cake; magical and delectable looking at the same time. The first delicious part that had caught my eye, was the pristine blue gelatin ocean surrounded by the soft cookie wafer sand. Each part of the beach scene was more creative than the next. I adored the seashell candies and the teddy bear cookies, lounging within cake heaven. The image before me seemed almost too good to eat. I had my mom rip off the front cover, as well as the recipe inside. I instructed her to tuck it away in my special notebook, and told myself that I am going to walk out of this hospital, so one day I can bake my future summer baby this summer exquisite beach cake.

I spent grueling years in therapy trying to overcome paralysis, and re-gain the use and feeling of my limbs. Every few months I would retrieve my special notebook to study the beach cake that I would one day make for my future child. This cake provided determination on those hard days when I would want to give up. I would glance at the photo and article, and realize that I needed to get through this, so one day I could start a family and bake this scrumptious cake. I fantasized about devouring this treasure with my family, and each morsel being a palatable miracle. 

 Within a few years, I re-learned how to walk, met a wonderful man, and got married. I now slowly walk with permanent crutches that go over my forearm, and can go about my daily activities with limited use of my hands. Shortly after I got married, I had my first baby, a son, who is now three years old. For his first birthday which lands coincidentally in July, I made him the summer beach scene cake with tears in my eyes. I had looked forward to this for thirteen years, and believed that this was one true miracle cake. On my way to my local candy store, I stood in front of the glass display case, beyond ecstatic that they sold sea shell candies. I purchased my gum drops for the pails, gummy rings for the inner tubes, sour laces for the seaweed, and other gummy, malleable candies to make my cake look just like the one in Woman’s Day. I told the woman behind the counter that I would be back every year for these special candies, especially my favorite, the sea shells. She looked at me puzzled, so I flashed her a picture of the article. I told her it was my quest to create this miracle for my little miracle. 

I had a second son one and a half years ago in December, so I now make him a winter-scene cake for his birthday as well. I include the ever-so-creative blue gelatin, but for my winter baby, it is a blue frozen pond, amongst a white frosted snow wonderland. Instead of candy sea shells, I found chocolate pebbles. The winter cake also included gummy penguins, a chocolate pop ice-skater to stick into the blue gelatin pond, and a coconut ball igloo. This article and recipe had inspired me to up my creative niche, and muster up something from my imagination. 

The Woman’s Day article, dating all the way back to June of 2000, has kept me driven to reach my goals. It has provided a hope that I had needed the most, to get me to this beautiful point in my life today. Woman’s Day magazine not only provided me with dire reading material, but a hope for one’s “yes-you-can” attitude. I kept this Woman’s Day article for almost fifteen years, and I plan on making my son this cake for his birthday every year. It will be a little reminder of the beautiful, scrumptious miracles in life, whether they are my little boys, or the cakes I create for them.