Heartwings Love Notes 2002 What’s old is New
Heartwings says, “Treasures with memories attached are precious indeed.”
What’s Old is New
The chef on the TV screen stirred his sizzling concoction and smiled as he described the recipe he was demonstrating for his TV audience. Like many cooking shows, it was fun to watch and listen to. Then he began to speak about the pots and pans he was using. He described them in mouthwatering detail almost as if he were detailing a recipe. They glistened on the screen as he presented gleaming, easy to use and clean utensils of various sizes, to serve as useful in many ways, for many different functions. He smiled on, describing the benefits of his wonderful cookware, all fully guaranteed of course, your money back if not satisfied.
I was drawn in by his description. What would it be like to have these non-stick wonders to use every day. No food to scrub off the special bonded surface of the frying pans, no inadequately sized pots, only the best, most efficient cookware! Wouldn’t that be special? I thought about all the benefits he described as he offered them. I could easily reach for the phone, call the number on the screen, and these wonderful pots and pans would be mine. They would hang up in my kitchen…wait, did they have a way to do that? The chef smiled on. I could pay for them on a credit card, of course. I started to reach for the phone, and then I paused and thought again.
Glancing over to where my old copper-bottomed pans hung in my pantry/hallway, I sighed. These had been mine for so long I couldn’t remember when I had acquired them. One small pot had lost its cover, another was in need of more scrubbing to remove a bit of burn residue. My children had grown up learning to cook with these pots and pans. I remembered a day when a friend of mine praised me for having the courage to hang up my pots without polishing them. I had, at one time shined them up, but I hadn’t done that in many years, even then.
I thought of the story of Alladin, from the Tales of the Arabian Nights, who had a battered old, but magic lamp. His wife unknowingly traded it for a new shiny one that alas, wasn’t magic. I thought about the magic of my old, somewhat battered yet precious pots and pans and smiled. I wouldn’t trade the memories in these old pots and pans for any that were new and shiny, possibly more efficient and effective, for any benefit they might provide.
My old cooking utensils are so much more than pots and pans. They bring back special memories from long ago that I would not trade for anything. Nor do I want to spend a large amount of money on something I don’t need. My old pots and pans will always shine with something more special and far more precious than those the smiling chef was offering for sale.
May your precious treasures hold kindly memories for you to enjoy.
Blessings and best regards, Tasha Halpert
Do you have old items you keep rather than replace because they are meaningful? Write and tell me about them. It’s such a treat to hear from readers, and I hope you will. You can also read more Love Notes on my blog, https://tashasperspective.com. Click on Pujakins if you see it come up.
Heartwings says, “If you follow your heart you cannot lose your way.”