Icing on the cake vs. fire in the snow
The Snowstorm in middle Feb. left millions of Texans without power and water for weeks. In the brutal cold, people’s hope came down a sustained power supply, like our ancestor trying to build a fire in the snow. It’s something that not only warms up life but also lights up hope. Unfortunately for many people, it didn’t come when most needed. Next time when the power companies gloat about like “we will build a state of art power supply” or “help you cut the bill”, people would surely be less thrilled. They don’t need icing on the cake, they need fire in the snow.
It’s easy to add icing on the cake, while hard to build fire in the snow. That pretty much explains why the power crashed in extreme weather, and some better things seem trivial in life. We sure like better things in life, a better car, a better career, a better finance — — best is not the goal, better is. In an uneventful world, better things often represent a high ROI task: so easy to accomplish, so large the outcome, like, hard work paid off, value recognized, and joy through the roof.
But don’t you remember? Being better is like adding one more zero at the end of a one million dollar check. It can be as large as ten times better, but without the “1” in the beginning, the following zeros would all go futile. That’s why people could forget a couple of zeroes along the way, but never forget the “1” they began with. The first car, the first career, the first money to start a business. They may not seem glorious compared to what they’ve led to, but they are like the first number “1” in the one million dollar check.
A fire in the snow, as hard as it’s to build, could generate a new life. Life is full of ups and downs. When riding high, a few good words seem a win-win game, the winner feels even better, the admirer accomplishes an easy job with low risk and high ROI. When stuck in the storm, what we need is more than a few words. A lifting hand, a direction, and a warm, encouraging fire. What do they save? A falling heart, a fading hope, and in many cases, a real life.
But the reality is, we often tend to easy job rather than the prospect it potentially holds. Living in blossoming life, we receive more flowers than needed. Buried in snow, the fire from a helping hand may never come. We all know the rule in the finance world. When you are in good shape, no matter personal or business, you are bombarded by loan ads. In a poor situation, you will see the investors run away and no one cares about the cause.
The artist Vincent van Gogh lived a short life that was tormented by illness, disdain, misunderstanding. His illness and devotion to painting were considered as bad personality. He was drifted away not only by his family but only by his peers, like another talented artist Paul Gauguin. He couldn’t sell his paintings to have a better life, only one was sold, when he was alive, with a measly price. After killing himself, his works were recognized as the pinnacle of modern art and art-investors raced for his works with an incredible amount of money.
Van Gogh couldn’t wait until the fire was built for his life. But we have more lucky stories showing what the difference a fire in snow can make. Like Auggie Pullman in the movie “Wonder”, when he receives the fire from his family, school, and community, it warms up not only himself but also everyone around him.
There is a whole bucket of stories where people stand out through internal fortitude and endeavor. But in no circumstance should we say no to anything helpful from outside, whether it makes life even better, or acts as the fire in the snow. Help and friendship are definitely those in life that we can’t live without. A true friend is with you through all the ups and downs. When you have this friend, be sure she is a Godsend and never let go. When you want to be a friend, try to be the one that not only makes the icing on the cake but also builds the fire in the snow. And never forget, the fire in the snow makes a world of difference than the icing on the cake.
