Generations of Love

A few days ago, one of my favorite bloggers, Sharon, did a post called An Object With Unexpected Significance. .

I've thought a lot about her post her post ever since I read it, and yesterday while I was doing some baking in preparation for Sammy's birthday party, I found my own objects with unexpected significance.



The rolling pin on the left belonged to my wonderful Grandma Sophie, and the pastry cutter and rolling pin on the right belonged first to my Great-Grandma Adeline, and then to my Grandma Rose. I love to use all three of these things, which would probably seem like ordinary objects to anyone else. When I am baking something and using my rolling pins, I can feel my grandmother's hands on mine. I feel how their hands touched the very handles that I am using. I imagine all of the cookies, pies, and meals these rolling pins helped to make for their families. Sophie had 10 children, and Adeline had 8. That's a lot of hungry people. Adeline came from Germany, and her husband Henry, who later lived with my Mom when she was a child, often spoke of the German tradition of ALWAYS having a freshly baked desert after every meal. I am sure they both got a lot of use out of these everyday tools.

In fact, one of the handles on Adeline's rolling pin was reattached by my Grandpa Dave, when it came apart after much use in the '70s. The bolt doesn't match and looks totally different from the rest of the rolling pin, but I love that too. It reminds me of my handy man grandfather, who used to love to putter around and make, create, and fix.

I love that these tools are helping me to make food for my own family now. They are truly precious to me. Anything that can help me remember the smiling faces of my grandmothers, their heartfelt laughter as they worked in the kitchen, and the love they served their families with will always hold a special place in my heart.

I am sad that I don't have a daughter to pass these on to, and continue the tradition. Who knows-maybe one of my boys will be a baker. Or maybe I will be blessed enough to have a daughter in law that I love like my own. One thing is certain-whoever I pass these along to will be the type of person who can see my hands in the mix when I am gone. Someone who can see these simple rolling pins as a symbol of generations of women in our family, taking care of the ones they love.