麻豆社

From Comedian & Writer Paul Kerensa:

This week I celebrated 7 glorious years of marriage 鈥� by coincidence, my wife did too. 7 years since we cut that cake, storing the top layer in the freezer, as is apparently tradition.

But 7 years went by, and we forgot it. We had two miracle children, having been told we wouldn鈥檛 鈥� that would be our medical miracle. And with kids, our freezer gained layers, like wedding cake: First, more puree, then small meals, lunchbox sandwiches... Our chunk of wedding cake remained abandoned at the bottom.

Perhaps as a wise colleague said to me recently: we shouldn鈥檛 store away our best for another time. Why hold back the good stuff? I know life鈥檚 fragile: 3 occasions, hospitals have said it鈥檚 50/50 for me. I鈥檝e played those odds. In life, we don鈥檛 know where the finish line is.

I know in marathons, you need to retain reserves. Wine can be laid down for years鈥� so long as one day you drink it. But in the marathon of marriage, and the wine cellar of life, I鈥檓 sure we can鈥檛 hold back our best.

There鈥檚 a biblical concept of tithing 鈥� giving 10% to God, not our leftovers, but our first fruits and best of our crop. 鈥淏ring it in,鈥� God says. 鈥淎nd I鈥檒l throw open heaven鈥檚 floodgates and pour out so much blessing, there won鈥檛 be room to store it all.鈥�

So I won鈥檛 store back my best. Freeze cake? No thanks. Because here鈥檚 the kicker: while we enjoyed our anniversary supper this week, our freezer was accidentally defrosting. Food had to be binned: the lunchbox sarnies, the baby puree, and 鈥� awful but true 鈥� the wedding cake. It went bad. 7 years almost to the minute after cutting it, we were binning it. The cake鈥檚 no good; the marriage is fine I should add.

But we should have heeded the Good Lord. Grown from, as Gregory Porter memorably sang, his Cradle in Bethlehem, Jesus said: 鈥淪tore treasures in heaven, where vermin won鈥檛 destroy鈥�. Those rodents of Guildford鈥檚 rubbish tip now enjoy prime 2009 wedding cake.

I鈥檓 not going to hold back when I say Godspeed to those giving their best this weekend. Best foot forward! Although I鈥檓 well aware鈥� it鈥檚 no piece of cake.