For Mother’s Day my darling husband gave me a set of Chicago Cutlery knives. When we were in South Carolina, I helped my friend Danni cook one night and she had a set. I loved it.I love how sharp they are and yet very light weight. I love that they are made with one piece of metal. I love how easy cutting has become - slicing, dicing, chopping, peeling, etc. I find myself making excuses to cut food, just so I can use my new knives.
I find the ease of use adds to the fun of cooking for me. I love to cook. I love to entertain and I love making food that people enjoy to eat. Using the correct equipment makes it easier. A new “toy” will do that for me.
When I was a child, I loved new toys. I found them exciting to play with and figure out. When the “new” toys became “old” toys they weren’t as special anymore. I would find that I started to lose the appreciation of the joy they bought me when I first received them.
Looking back I’ve observed – when the “newness” wore off, I went back to my “favorite” toy. I would pick it back up and play with it. My favorite never worried that it would be abandoned forever. It knew that soon I would return because I felt loved by it and comforted by it. My favorite toy was this baby doll that I received when I was two years old. I still have it. I called it “Boy.”
As an adult maturity comes into play and I try to appreciate what I have and what I receive. I don’t tire of some things when I’ve had them for a long time – my camera, my laptop, my shoes, etc. I find that I’m more grateful for what I have and want to hold on to it.
When we left Washington, I gave up many things. We gave away, sold or threw away many favorite “toys” I had. It was hard. I still miss my sewing machine. To be honest I didn’t use it often, but now keep finding projects I would do or could do if I still had it.
This is life. You grow up and sometimes you move on. You leave behind things.
While we traveled during our road trip the one thing I realize that I didn’t lose, even if it’s left behind, are friends and memories. Those I took with me wherever I went. New memories and new friends are important. It doesn’t betray the “old” but it enriches life.
I thank God for all that He has given me. The most important are the people that He placed in my life and I’ve had the opportunity to love.
© Nadine Zawacki 2009
25 comments:
Great and oh so true poar. Congrats on the knife set, too.
Susan
It is hard to let go sometimes. That is an amazing set of knives!
I got Chicago Cutlery knives years ago for Christmas - my kids were so excited, because Daddy took them to buy my gift. I remember Kristen asking me, "Do you want to know what we got? Want to know how much it cost?" Mine have wooden handles, though - yours are sleak and modern.
I have been having the same feeling about "things" this weekend as I have cleaned and purged the basement and garage. And, I love Chicago Cutlery...my mom used it and gave me a small paring knife when I left for college and gave me pieces here and there over the years. I still have all of them and they are still working great. Enjoy!
Yay for knives! I used mine tonight...loved it still!
Awesome post and sooooo true.
I always love your analogies.
......now I must tell my husband about these since his mom has one knife left that's her favorite and the handle is being held on with duct tape.....
I can totally relate to being fascinated by new toys... and then going back to your old favorites. But somehow in this whole process, some of my new toys have become old favorites... How does that happen?
I laughed when you said you looked for things to cut with your new knives. My husband has a good set of knives too. When he first got them he did the same thing.
This was a lovely post. It's seems the same mind set that people who had experienced unexpected loss (like house fires) would have to cope with. Letting go, yet learning to appreciate what they do have - memories and friends. I pray that you continue to adjust well. Happy Memorial Day to you and Tom (did you get to use your knives on BBQ ribs? :D ).
Great post Nadine! I'm so jealous of your knives....although it's not like we need any more of them in the Meyers' house! We had two whole sets of knives when we moved in with Grandma (not necessarily good quality, but knives nonetheless)! I do that too - missing things you never used only because you got rid of them :)
nice knives!
So true. But the thing we keep telling ourselves, is that if God wanted us to have everything we left behind, he'd have left us there too! But he didn't. He brought us somewhere new. Somewhere to be planted and then to bloom accordingly.
Now if I could just find a good steady water source here in the desert!!
Yes....things come and go but memories stayed forever :D
Nice looking knives!
Hope you make many new and exciting memories!! :)
that's so funny! i am so weird about my knives. i have a handful that i use. my husbands tried to buy me a new set a few days ago - oh thank goodness we were together so i could tell him not to - i like my knives just the way they are, un-matching set in a drawer.
yours look great! maybe if i come out to visit and cook a meal for you, i will want them too! thou shalt not covet thy bloggy-friends knives.
You are blessed.
Mike
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What a truly lovely post, and one that has such beautiful meaning. We are a consumer society, and your great life's lesson is something that we must, must, must teach our grandchildren. We know that God does work in mysterious ways to "fix" things, and maybe this recession is a way to teach people that less is so much more...
Maybe that's why cooking hasn't been much fun lately...my knives are dull. I don't know if I should add "wives" to my birthday wish list this year (my husband might get nervous), but I'd sure like to see what Chicago Cutlery is all about!
I agree with what you're saying about good friends and memories...and another thing, they never grow dull. :)
PS - that should've read "knives," not wives! lol
I have some Chicago Cutlery steak knives and they are awesome! Ones just like yours...all one piece. I was very sad to lose one of them, however.
Nice thoughts Nadine. Sorry I haven't been around... lot's going on - some good, some bad. I hope you and Tom are doing well!
hmmm...i feel my life is hopeless...reading of your perfectiveness seems to confirm it for me. I feel like we have fallen deep deep down in some kind of pit that there is no light, no way out! Does that make sense? I do remember friends and family though. Some memories good some not so much. From where we stand down, I don't see those memories enriching our lives at all. We merely surviving right now. Feeling like we are prepared to leave this world today. There's nothing holding us back. no friends, or family. no love.
a post I think you missed, that you might like reading:
http://www.demarablog.com/2009/05/24/a-little-girl/
Like Debz commented, I love how you take everyday occurrences and tie them to things that are eternal, or about the quality of life.
I'd be sad without my sewing machine too!
Beautiful knives. I love to cook and these sound like a really good set. I love the fact that they aren't too heavy. I am not comfortable with heavy knives.
I have trouble leaving things behind. I have to laugh because I can keep something for years (like your sewing machine) and then give it away to find many things I could of used it for. Where were these things before?
So True. I love my old friends and I love my new friends. Treasures I would never give up.
You are never going to want to get new knives. I have some chicago cutlery steak knives and they are the best. I never want to let them go.
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