Words of Appreciation

I love you, appreciate you, and thank you for being a part of my life. In our families and circles of friends, we might hear these words or variations of them often if we remember to say them, if we take the time to speak them, and if we aren’t too tired, overwhelmed, or distracted.

At a funeral I recently attended, the eulogy was intimate and thoughtful. I felt honored to hear the beautiful tribute. Yet the person who would have enjoyed it MOST was the person the funeral was for. Did she know how much she was loved?

About a year ago, my younger sister died from cancer. She was undoubtedly MY biggest cheerleader and fan. She called almost everyone Super, as in Superman, and meant it. She even had t-shirts made for all of her nieces and nephews to spread her belief.

When her diagnosis turned terminal, I believed she had six months, but she only lived six more weeks. I didn’t tell her what she meant to me at each of those last times together. I thought there would be another visit or at least one more phone call where I would have the perfect opportunity. I didn’t want my time with her to feel like a final goodbye, so I waited. The cancer took over her body more swiftly and viciously than I could have imagined. She passed away on January 30th, 2019.

In 2015, I took on a project to capture the recipes my dad had created and perfected in his 25 years as a bakery and restaurant owner. I imagined the crinkled, watermarked pieces of paper with fading ink combined with his expertise becoming like the dust of old scrolls, eventually lost to time. Plus, my children were just starting to establish their own kitchens and kept texting me for these recipes they loved.

Writing a cookbook might be the most complex type of book to undertake. Full of instructions, pictures, unique ingredients, and abbreviations for measurements, it took me over two years to complete. It was only because not finishing it was more painful than pushing it to completion that Well Feed, the first edition of my family cookbook, was published in the fall of 2017.

Then my son asked where the recipe for buttermilk biscuits was and how I could forget sunflower oatmeal bread, and the list of missing recipes grew. Plus, the perfectionist in me found TYPOs! Instructions that were a bit vague and clarifications that needed to be shared. Not everyone had my dad on speed dial. 

Writing a book is hard. It’s a calling to share your truth, fitting those thoughts between two covers, and having it all make sense.

Then my son asked where the recipe for buttermilk biscuits was and how I could forget sunflower oatmeal bread, and the list of missing recipes grew. Plus, the perfectionist in me found TYPOs! Instructions were a bit vague, and clarifications needed to be shared; not everyone had my dad on speed dial. Writing a book is hard. It’s a calling to share your truth, fitting those thoughts between two covers, and having it all make sense. When Rachel passed away, losing her put a hole in my heart, and it also filled me with the flames of living life without regret. A narrative of my childhood, my experiences growing up on a dairy farm just south of Bloomer, WI, and the desire to share my love with the people most memorable to me while they were still with me would not go away. 

I found myself writing down ideas for short stories, family slogans, and messages of my love for my family on Post-its, napkins, and any writing surface I could find in those moments.

My pile of ideas grew, but I knew I couldn’t do it alone this time. I needed wisdom, structure, and guidance. I needed an editor who could put this puzzle together and help me create this legacy for my family. Thank you, Soaring Communications!

What do you want it to say if your life is your message to the world? Who do you want to say it to? 

Whether it’s a text, phone call, blog, or book, tell those you love your feelings now while you can speak them and they can hear you.

Find my message to my family and the world in your copy of The Family Dough, Where Love is Kneaded and Wealth Rises, on Amazon and my website!

Meet Alice Rothbauer

Inventor of the saltine cracker sandwich and master sugar cookie baker, Alice is the oldest of six children raised on a dairy farm in northwestern Wisconsin. 

When she was old enough to read, her parents began to teach her how to show love and connection by preparing great food served at a table of lively conversation.

She has a BBA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has been an entrepreneur for over twenty years. She inspires women to break through into their greatness by building confidence and powerful habits. 

Having successfully raised three children, Alice and her husband Bill are in a new season of life as full-time residents of Sarasota, FL.