MEMORIES IN DISHWATER

MEMORIES IN DISHWATER

     Okay. This is a self-indulgent post, but I will bet there are those out there who feel this same tug in their hearts! Yesterday I prepared lunch for my family. (I started to say "Nothing out of the ordinary there!") But that isn' t true. We used to meet for lunch somewhere almost every Sunday. At least we had an hour or hour and a half together before schedules demanded to be met. Then, that habit died as Wade and I began to spend Sundays in Atlanta. 
     So...this homecooked lunch was, I guess, extraordinary! While I prepared for 15 of us, three could not come at the last minute. But my Mackenzie drove all the way from Athens to be here! I set the tables as I would for a fancy dinner party. I used my best! Fine china, fresh flowers, beautiful fall squash in the centerpieces, fine crystal, cloth napkins, charger plates. And a "prize" for each family. Yes. It was tons of trouble, but also tons of Joy! And while I used what I called "company dishes" as a little girl, the very best company I could ever have is my children and my grandchildren!
     And then, they all left. And yes, most of the dishes had to be hand washed. And yes, it was going to take a lot of time to clean up. When I hand wash the china that I got as wedding presents, when I soap up the crystal goblets, one of which my precious Grandmother broke many, many Thanksgivings ago, (How I wish she were around to break another one!) and when I dry the sterling forks, I remember. 
     I remember that I am a woman blessed. I am surrounded by beautiful memories of a God-touched past. I am surrounded by beautiful things...none more beautiful than those I call "my family!" Young women, those that follow behind, a plastic plate, and a Solo cup is a whole lot easier, and things move more quickly, but Time has a way of flying rapidly on its own. With the busyness that women feel in their souls, the rush and responsibility of the demands made on us, there are times when hand washing dishes can be a blessed therapy! The "trouble" of using your "company dishes" is the sweet message of just how much you treasure those you serve!