One of my longstanding Christmas baking traditions is Chocolate Fudge Cranberry Brownies. If you've never had them, that may seem a little weird, but they're actually really amazing. They're always a big hit, which is why I keep making them year after year. In fact, for a couple of years, I used to send chocolate fudge cranberry brownies, along with other assorted baked goods, to my various relatives around the country for Christmas.
Then a couple of years ago, I stopped doing it. Was feeling kind of apathetic towards the holidays in general, plus I didn't really have the time or money to ship half a dozen packages around the country.
For the most part, nobody seemed to notice or care that I'd stopped--except my sister. She called me last year around Christmas to ask me if I was going to send her some of my famous brownies that year, and told me how much she loved them and looked forward to them.
Even if I didn't have the time or money to send half a dozen packages of baked goods at Christmas, I certainly was able to send one, especially since it was to my sister. So I told her I would. And then... I didn't. I meant to. Bought an extra package of cranberries just for her brownies. But I ended up with a lot of work to do, plus I was directing a show, and before I knew it, it was January, and I still hadn't sent the brownies.
Needless to say, I felt pretty bad about it. So I figured that to make up for not sending my sister brownies at Christmas, I would send her some on her birthday instead.
Today would have been my sister's birthday. She died just a few weeks ago. So the life lesson, which I'm taking to heart and passing on to all of you, is this: Don't wait. Whatever you're planning on doing in your life, do it now. Take the action you're afraid to, do the thing you would rather put off until tomorrow or next week. Tell your friends and family you love them, and moreover, SHOW them. Right now. Because you never know when it might be too late.
