When David makes dinner, he often uses a heavy pink Pyrex mixing bowl to aid in his preparation. He’s one of these guys who cleans up after himself as he’s cooking 😊, usually returning the bowl to the cabinet before it’s time for me to do the dishes.
On the occasions
that I do put it away, I have to reach up as high on my tippy toes as can be to
lift the bowl to the second shelf, where it is stored in the larger nesting bowl. This is the main reason I don’t seek it out.
When it’s my
turn to cook and I’m in need of a container of any kind, I always opt for the easiest
to get to, even if it’s a big spaghetti pot that I’ve just washed.
Since Lauren
has been staying with us, I’ve put the pink bowl away numerous times, only to
see it reappear throughout the day: whenever
she cooks/bakes, eats a large salad, warms May’s milk and pureed fruits and
vegetables, it’s her preferred equipment.
What’s with
the bowl? I finally
asked, wondering why she chooses this one so often when there are others more
accessible.
“It’s the
perfect bowl…I love it,” was Lauren’s initial response.
Then she said
the magic words: “It’s from my childhood.”
David chimed
in: “It’s from my childhood too” and said that his mom Minna, who passed
away 31 years ago when he was 28, used it all the time, along with his nana, who
lived with them for years.
Thoughts of his
mom mixing pancake batter and also grinding meat into it (he wasn’t a
vegetarian then), as well as simply picturing it sit on the countertop, fills him
with such happy recollections.
He loves to utilize
the same bowl she did, he said, because it helps to keep her alive and close…so
why wouldn’t he use the most meaningful one he has, rather than an ordinary
one, with no history attached to it.
Likewise, his grandfather’s
phillips head screwdriver with a rubber head brings the past into the present
each time David takes it out of the toolbox, for whatever job he has in mind.
While some
people talk about and/or tell stories about loved ones who have passed, for
David, it’s about bringing items and memories associated with them to life that
truly touches him.
These
purposeful relics have the functionality factor which keeps them in motion, but
housing several of his mom’s Hummel figurines also brings him great joy, as he
recalls the pleasure she experienced in collecting them.
It’s
interesting how everyone refreshes the past in different ways.
Pretty sure my mom has that same exact bowl. It's too bad she put it in the dishwasher. The color has faded. I have my grandmoms bowl from her sunbeam mixmaster. I use it when I want to be certain something will come out well. It is like she is the angel on my shoulder.
ReplyDeleteLove this!
DeleteWow....I remember that bowl well. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteIt brings him so much pleasure, and Lauren too.
DeleteThis is such a great story, Judy. Keeping things in the family is such an important way to continue traditions and keep memories alive.
ReplyDeleteWe have a table in our foyer that’s over 100 years old. My mom ate dinner at it her whole childhood. We’ll probably have to get rid of it when we downsize but we’ll be sure to make sure someone else in the family takes it👍🏻😊
I love it! I'd love to see a picture of it sometime!
DeleteFunny how inanimate objects can bring memories back to life...And so many are housed in the kitchen. Like the wooden spoons I use so often, they remind me of my mother puttering around making dinner. From bowls and spoons to food and sustenance to remembrance. Love your story, Judy.
ReplyDeleteThe kitchen and kitchen items seem to be where the bulk of memories are!
DeleteLove this story! We all keep our loved ones close by their belongings!! 💖💖💖
ReplyDeleteYes! and their house too, for Mom & Dad Cohen xo
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