8.28.2008

The Spirit of My Ancestors




This is the spoon I use to cook with.

It belonged to my great grandmother.

Considering that my Grandmother is now 101 years old, it is amazing to think that HER mother used it to cook with.

If you look closely you will see that one side is worn down from use over the years.
This is one of my most prized possessions. A couple of years ago I was a guest speaker at the View Club and took my spoon along to talk about the importance of writing down our stories. I accidentally left it on the table and it was collected with all the cutlery at the end of the meal. I went home without it and it took a couple of days for me to remember that I must have left it there. I was devastated and returned to the venue and raided drawers and drawers of cutlery with the owners to finally get it back! It must have gone into the dishwasher with every thing else. I was extremely lucky!

I really LOVE my spoon because every time I pull it out I am reminded of the spirit of my ancestors. Hard working, frugal living, self sufficient, simple people. Whether it was by choice or necessity, the spoon reminds me to live like it's 1940s. To be more family oriented. To cook from scratch. To be self reliant. To waste less. To save more. To have a grateful spirit.

I wonder what possessions of mine are going to be around for more than 100 years ? The answer that pops into my mind is unfortunately the millions of plastic bags I have used so far LOL !

6 comments:

Unknown said...

That spoon is worth its weight in gold. I wish I had something special and material that had been passed down to me from generations past. May the spirit of your ancestors get passed down to new generations for many years to come.

I have memories of my youth, of my grandparents (all passed away now) and the lessons they tought me, but each year I find I have keep the spirit alive by meditating and digging deep into past memories.

If memories were gold dust, I would have a big non-plastic bag full :)

gary said...

It's a great spoon. My mother has the bowl from her mother that has cooked the Christmas puddings for the best part of 70 years. Only gets used once a year but it holds a stack of memories.

Regards, Gary

Anonymous said...

I feel connected to my ancestors every time I use an old chopper with a metal blade and wooden handle. My youngest daughter will have it when I am gone, as she has always appreciated the fact that her great-grandmother used it.

Belinda said...

I am very lucky to have a couple of bits of furniture that either were restored for me when I was younger or I have restored myself since I moved out of home.

Nothing as personal as that wonderful wooden spoon but my Mothers dresser, restored and gifted for my 16th birthday, keeps reminding me how special she thinks I am every single day.

Kind Regards
Belinda

Grandma Tillie's Bakery said...

I love the spoon and all it represents. My mom just brought me some more of my Grandma's things to enjoy and I just love thinking about her everytime I look at them. I even use her old hand crank coffee grinder!

Minni Mum said...

M, your spoon is identical in shape and condition to two I inherited from my grandmother, and I know I would feel equally distressed to loose either of them! I also LOVE to use them, I find the worn edge such an inspiration when I think of how many cake and biscuit mixes those spoons must have stirried over the decades.

Cheers, Julie

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