I’ll be honest here – I love cupcakes. Red velvet, peanut butter, tiramisu, bizarre butterscotch New York concoctions, and coconut shaved toppings, I love it all.

There is something so perfect in the rich creamy frosting, the moist airy cake in an adorable form worthy of a Japanese animation that just gets me every time. And yet, indulging in this simplistic, pure essence of deliciousness eludes me- how do you eat a cupcake?

“Obviously,” people say, “You just bite in, and enjoy it.” But no sir, I will no sacrifice my frosting falling off, wasted on my nose and the general area of my mouth. I refuse to waste such an essential part of my precious dessert salvation.

Cupcakes, like everything in this world, have a tragic flaw. Their downfall unfortunately, leads to literally falling down, plummeting towards the floor. Unlike the close relative, cake, any good cupcake features an abundance of frosting, literally the frosting on top. Long story short, cupcakes’ hamartia: a defective cake to frosting ratio.

Finding the right balance, in a cupcake or in anything, is crucial. The amplitude of frosting is necessary to live up to the cupcake dessert genre, but exactly how much is just enough? And how much is too much?

In life, the ramifications are a little bit more drastic. I can’t tell you how the right ratios are important, because you’ve all heard it in too many school meetings. I can’t preach about how I’ve found some type of nirvanic bliss in my fifteen years of living, because I haven’t.

My school work, my passions, friends, even my diet is far from balanced. I’m young; I make mistakes. I choose to go on Facebook instead of studying for that one test, because somehow I find that more appealing. It’s my mistake, and I’m living with and learning from them everyday.

In spite of this, the road to some perfect equilibrium is a long and nearly unattainable path to take. It’s human nature to want it all, to believe in the idea of having it all, especially in a world opportunities are sugar and we can stick out our tongues just to taste it. (No cupcake reference intended.)

To quote my mother, “The world is a set of trade-offs and balances.” The choices you make will eliminate another, and you will live with them. And if all goes well, you’ll either enjoy the reapings, or dust yourself off and make peace with them.

Ratios, balances, whatever you choose to call it are crucial to living life. Regardless of age, our tastes are always changing; what we choose today will be different than what we choose tomorrow. But still, the taste of sweet chocolatey victory as the perfect combination is a moment of true bliss. And if the frosting spills a little, well, it was a sacrifice to be made, and the cupcake remains absolutely delicious.