Old Pot and Pans...

Paula A. Tomey-Allen

Awhile back I decided to replace some of my old cookware, as it was showing signs of age with rusting, dents and warping. It seems that cookware is something that we don't replace often, sometimes keeping it for a lifetime. Kind of like silverware, dishes and bed linens.

I have pans I had when my children were smaller and now they are all grown up and gone. When they were babies they would pull them out of the cupboards and string them all over the floor. When my grandchildren came along and would come to visit I would let them do the same thing. They could sure make a racket and one could only imagine what was going on in their minds. Now, it's pretty quiet here, with only the ticking of the clock on the wall behind me.

As I was changing my bed sheets I noticed how they were starting to show wear and becoming thin in the most used spots like the center. I am reminded of how they have been used on everyone's beds around here for many years past. Many small and big heads have dreamed dreams on the pillowcases and warmth has come from the sheets being snuggled tight to their chins. I leave the unused beds bare now except for a blanket to cover the bare mattress and only make mine, until company comes. Then, I bring the bed linens out of storage and freshen the unused quiet rooms that soon will feel life again.

On the solemn walls there are pictures they drew when they were small, posters of movie and rock stars, treasures from girl's camp and mementos from various other activities. In the closets, I try to sort through boxes that have sat quiet and untouched for the five years we have lived in this house. Old letters, toys, homemade cards, term papers, notes to and from friends in school, small clothes and tapes, CD's and videos give one a sense of values and traditions.

It's often hard to replace the past with new and vibrant because the past is irreplaceable. But, if we are to grow and move on, then we must do so, but we can do so with honor and love.

Someday, tomorrow will be yesterday and we will remember the memories we have gathered with a fondness in our hearts. And someday, the new pots and pans we replaced today, will become someone's thrift store treasure tomorrow.