Baking a Difference- Maleah
Icing Smiles has been a large part of my growth and journey over the last 3 years. So I wanted to make sure that I took some time to highlight my first experience with this amazing foundation.
Hear me out :
I suppose Ill start by saying that Cake is my second passion, sports was always my first, but when cake came into my life and I realized that anything sports related was just not in the cards as far as finances go, I ran with it. I worked hard to create a professional cake business and had met goals business wise that I never thought were possible. But after over 4 years of creating cake I started to feel like I lost the motivation, the core reason as to why I even loved cake design to begin with.
I mean how naive was I to think that by upgrading my expensive hobby to an actual business (by myself) would be simple? That the business side wouldn’t trump the reasons for why I created cake to begin with. What a drowning in my feelings artist thing to say! (LOL). So I began to think of cake differently, I almost hated going to work everyday because I didn’t LOVEEE it the way I used to. Cake just became a job, that’s it that all.
Sweet Maleah
While watching one of the episodes of Man About Cake on Youtube, Joshua John Russell featured Tracy Quisenberry, founder of Icing Smiles. Naturally I looked into the charity and immediately signed up for it. I wasn’t positive if I would be contacted but hey, I was here if ever the time presented itself. About a month later I received my first “call to action”, a little girl named Maleah.
Maleah was diagnosed with malignant neoplasm of the brain and her 8th birthday was coming up. Of course I accepted the call and immediately contacted her mother for more information. In true me fashion I had to know more about Maleah, my inspiration juices started flowing and I was ready to make this cake. Icing Smiles does provide information about the style of cake and dietary restrictions (if any), but it was important for me to get to know a little more about who she was before sketching anything. Maleah/mom told me she loved to dance, sing, she adored the colors pink and purple (mostly purple) and that she loved Monster High. Mom also sent over a ton of photos of Maleah showing her happiness before and through her battle as keeping her happiness was at the forefront.
I began to sketch her cake and came up with a beautiful over the top design that incorporated everything that she wanted. I found myself truly putting my heart and time into this cake, which I do for all my cakes but this one was different. I couldn’t stop thinking how much this was going to brighten up her day, that even if she was sad, for at least one second she would be happy knowing this cake was specially made for her. I haden’t felt this way in a long time.
On the day of drop off I don’t think I really understood the severity of her condition until I was in her presence, I really didn’t know what to expect honestly. I walked in and waited for her and her family, and when she came I presented her with the cake. She couldn’t smile physically but her spirit, her happiness I immediately felt it through her and her family’s reactions. We took some photos, I spoke with her family for a little and then made my way to the car. I was so excited by the compliments that were given, my heart was truly full and I was successful in my call to action.
What I truly didn’t expect was to cry, I literally just started crying, I couldn’t help but think about how this may be her last birthday cake, she was 8 y’all. And I, J Hubb had the ultimate pleasure of creating it for her. I also, began to realize that this, THIS was what I was missing or what I thought I had lost. The passion and the emotion of creating happiness and being apart of peoples happiness during their most celebratory times.
I thought about Maleah, her story and how it had truly impacted me in all the ways that I had been needing for weeks. A couple of months later I was scrolling through Instagram and saw the post that Maleah had lost her battle. Naturally my heart was in shambles for her and her family. I do believe that she was an angel on earth. She was my answer to my prayer, my muse and my motivation to continue to do what I loved and to find the love in what I loved again. Thank you Maleah for contributing to my journey!
Final Thoughts:
Im always connected to my clients, as much as they truly will let me, but this experience was more than that. It was a life lesson and a reason to remember that what I do, be it cake or event planning, I can impact not only myself but the people I work with in such a life changing way. I won’t ever forget Maleah (Toodie), she brings me out of the misery of business hole often and always reminds me to give my all in what I’m meant to do in this lifetime while I’m still here.
