WHY CANT I HAVE THE CAKE AND EAT IT TOO!!!!

I remember the conversations with my grandmother on warm Sunday afternoon’s. From my perspective it always a comparison of our “cakes”. Somehow I found her "cake" to be perfect, maybe because she had her "cake" and ate it too. It was not too big. She knew the right dimensions, and she also knew that wanting more cream would be mere foolishness. I have always felt that if my grandma made a checklist of things she needed to accomplish they would have all been crossed out .The highlight for me in this thoughtful endeavor was the fact that she was absolutely clueless about the above mentioned details. To her the “cake” was non existent, yet she baked it with utmost care.
Here is where my “cake” comes in. Actually my "cake" is not set yet. It keeps evolving with time, getting bigger. I always find something new to decorate it with. Every time its magnanimity leaves a sense of dissatisfaction in me. I know its dimensions but I want to stretch it to the limits my imagination will take me. I have hoarded my "cake" enough to make it presentable in the educational society. My “cake” is stamped and now I am dressing it up for the corporate acceptance. I know it won’t be long before my “cake” needs to be decorated with cherries of my personal commitments. I just hope it can balance it all. My mother is aware about her “cake”. The paradox here is she wants me to add all that she missed out in hers, yet when I describe all the ingredients to her she gives a sly smile which to me reads “you can’t have it all”. My mind seems to reverberate with question “why can’t I have the cake and eat it too?????”