Connect to Reconnect: Part of our 10 Christmas Gifts series - Gift Number 3

Gift #3: The Cookie Thief by Valarie Cox

This gift is one of Margaret’s long-time favourites. It’s a short, memorable story about misunderstanding, kindness and perspective and every time it’s been shared in our programmes, it’s prompted fresh insight.

The Cookie Thief by Valerie Cox:

A woman was waiting at an airport one night, with several long hours before her flight. She hunted for a book in the airport shops, bought a bag of cookies and found a place to drop. She was engrossed in her book but happened to see, that the man sitting beside her, as bold as could be. . .grabbed a cookie or two from the bag in between, which she tried to ignore to avoid a scene.

So she munched the cookies and watched the clock, as the gutsy cookie thief diminished her stock. She was getting more irritated as the minutes ticked by, thinking, “If I wasn’t so nice, I would blacken his eye.” With each cookie she took, he took one too, when only one was left, she wondered what he would do. With a smile on his face, and a nervous laugh, he took the last cookie and broke it in half.

He offered her half, as he ate the other, she snatched it from him and thought… oooh, brother. This guy has some nerve and he’s also rude, why he didn’t even show any gratitude!

She had never known when she had been so galled, and sighed with relief when her flight was called. She gathered her belongings and headed to the gate, refusing to look back at the thieving ingrate.

She boarded the plane, and sank in her seat, then she sought her book, which was almost complete.

As she reached in her baggage, she gasped with surprise, there was her bag of cookies, in front of her eyes. If mine are here, she moaned in despair, the others were his, and he tried to share. Too late to apologise, she realized with grief, that she was the rude one, the ingrate, the thief.

Why this gift matters

Because leadership isn’t only about tools and frameworks.

It’s also about:

·         how we see others

·         the assumptions we carry

·         the way we respond under pressure

·         the courage to admit we might have misread a moment

This story is a gentle reminder that our first interpretation isn’t always the right one.

And during a season that can feel busy, emotional and hurried, it invites us to slow down long enough to see people more clearly.

How to Use This Gift

Here are three ways to get value from it:

1. Use it as a personal reflection exercise

Ask yourself:

·         “Where have I jumped to conclusions this year?”

·         “Where might I need to revisit a conversation with a little more empathy?”

2. Share it with your team

It’s a brilliant opener for conversations around:

·         Psychological safety.

·         Assumptions.

·         Communication.

·         Giving people the benefit of the doubt.

3. Use it as a grounding reminder

Keep it bookmarked.

It’s a story that has a way of landing differently each time you read it and could mean different things to you at different times.

Thank you for opening this gift with us. Check out other gifts we have published here:

Other CAKE PD gifts

More from the CAKE Connect Library tomorrow.