I am going to call this post "The Spices of Life"

This week, I decided to clean out my plethora of spices. I do this about every six months. As I am doing so, I notice I have a lot of multiples half used, some unopened. Some I have no reason why I even had them. In some spices I had a wide variety of each. I began to group them by type-sweet, savory, spicy, etc. Then I realized the ones that I have many of are my go to ones, like soy sauce-I have a variety of it in brands, low sodium, regular, & dark. My next go to is Vinegar- well lets say I will never have a shortage-there was a range from plane white vinegar to aged balsamic to champagne. The next would have been garlic, there was garlic powder, garlic salt, crushed garlic, garlic infused olive oil and some other things that included garlic. In the midst, I received a text from someone and it caused me to think. All of my friends are like a spice. Different in their own way and add something to my life. Just like with spices they are unique in their own way, add something to every dish, none are exactly the same. Many of my friends have similarities but all of them are very different.

As I am still sorting and tossing things that were no longer in date, it made me think about the cycle of life and how people are there some for the long term and some for short periods. Like why I knew why I had some of my spices and no clue to the rest-its the same way with people. I have 3 girlfriends, that I could relate to my three go to ingredients. I have been friends with them for anywhere to 12 years or more. They are Robyn, Persephone and Takima. I will let them figure out which spice I think they are. These three ladies have been friends with me and have added things to my life in so many different ways and no matter how much time or space is between us we can pick up the phone and its never a struggle to pick up where we left off. Now not to say, I dont have other good friends because I do, but like with my soy, vinegar and garlic, these three never fail. I can use all of these ingredients all at once and have a perfect dish or I can use them individually have a perfect dish. Just like with them, we can hang as a group or individually and everything is perfect. We are all spicy in our own right.

I also thought about grouping and socialization-how are my friends group, how do they mix. Think about it when you are preparing a meal, you put together the things that mix well together and compliment each other, so that the dish is appealing, taste well and meets your need at that moment. I used to be bothered when I was not included in things with groups of friends, but think about it just like a recipe, I may not have fit into that event or activity that night. Maybe they were doing something I had no interest in or whatever the case may have been. Although there is a flip side, some people could just be rotten-like those old spices that I had left in the cabinet. Either way, its okay with me. Some people stick to what they know and will not venture out with spices, just like they wont with friends. Personally, I don't understand why but to each its own. I like variety in people and in things and in food of course. Life would be very boring without it. I have different friends who add different things to my life-at different times-in different seasons and for different reasons.

That being said, no I don't mix them all together and hope it works-I would not do that with one of my recipes so why would I do it with the people I know. Somethings just don't mix. Now you may be thinking that is a harsh thing to say, but its the truth. Its as simple if my friend does not like Sushi-why am I going to force them to go to Sushi restaurant. Why they would not want to eat and the experience would not be enjoyable for either of us. I want as many positive experiences in my life as possible, so if I know it will probably be negative why put myself in that situation. Same with my recipes, I want them all to be great but they may not. So what do I do, keep adding spices and seasonings, hold onto my go to's, add in the ones that go well together, get rid of the rotten ones and experience life to the fullest.

I leave you who and what are the spices in your life? Where do they fit? Who are you go tos? Are they rotten and need to be cycled out?

You hold the key to the perfect recipe of your life, but you need your spices to make it complete.