Beth Grant
contributing writer
ketchup
& chocolate
I am certain my grandmothers never imagined
being able to take a phone into the grocery store, much
less one containing a list of voice activated items. Not to
mention surfing the internet for recipes, while in the store!
I wonder if these sweet, simple ladies would consider this
modern technology a miracle.
I miss the hurriedly scribbled handwriting on the list of
items to purchase from the grocery. In fact, neither of my
grandmothers drove a car so groceries were either delivered (Grandma) or purchased following a cab ride to the
hairdresser each week (Nanny).
In addition to the regular “staple” items on my grandmother’s lists which might include flour, cornmeal, sugar,
milk, bread and eggs you would find ketchup and Hershey’s chocolate cocoa. Other than Vienna sausages you
would never find processed food in their cupboards. Everything was ’made from scratch’-- a term that they would
simply call ‘baked’.
All our modern ‘conveniences’ supposedly allow us
58
past. Some of my most cherished possessions have a
hand written message from a loved one. From hand
Isn’t that the way it is with Jesus? Though we can’t see
written recipes to notes written in Bibles, I can tell who
Him, He still guides us giving us signs to direct us. I don’t
wrote them by their handwriting. I can visualize Grand-
think God would want us to text our blessing or prayer, He
ma’s tiny arthritic hand making notes in her Bible. I can
visualize the perfectly polished nails of my Nanny as she
wrote the recipe for her famous peach cobbler for me to
cherish. Even though I appreciate the modern miracles
of our world, we will all miss the deeper emotions we feel
when reading the carefully formed letters of someone we
wants to hear directly from us, to hear our voice worshipping and praising Him.
As a mother, I still like to hear the voices of my children
and grandchildren. I like to know how they are without
seeing it on Facebook first. I want to savor all of the things
dearly love. It’s as though a person’s handwriting makes
that modern technology is taking from us. I want to recog-
the story come to life somehow.
nize the handwriting of those I hold dear so after they are
As I prepare for the Christmas season this year I real-
gone; I can still feel their presence.
ize that it seems like yesterday I put last year’s Christmas
How do we balance being able to go faster, accomplish-
away. When I was little Christmas seemed forever away
ing more but savoring the moments of the day? I think we
from year to year. Could it be that all these ‘modern mira-
need to hit the pause button, rewind sometimes and slow
cles’ have in fact stolen the magic that time creates? Has
it down. Give thanks for all that we have and the minds
our time become so packed with events and obligations
that we simply go from one to the next without being able
to enjoy precious moments?
to create more. Along the way, savor the simple joys like
licking the beaters with your favorite cake batter, playing the Charlie Brown theme song (often), teaching your
more time, so we can cram even more into our already
I wonder what it was like in Jesus’s time when you had
hectic lives! Have we become like robots just going
nothing to guide you but the sun, moon and stars. What
through the motions or are we able to savor life’s most
about on a cloudy day when you can’t see them? How did
simple pleasures?
they know when to wake up, when to eat, when to work
someone you love dearly, boil some homemade mulling
Even as I type this story I am thankful I can write it so
and when to rest? Did the time of day matter every day
spices on the stove, thank God for the sun that just came
quickly and move on to other projects calling my name.
or were there days when they simply existed and didn’t
out after days and days of rain. Savor everything and give
I am told soon cursive handwriting will be a thing of the
worry? Is that why we get so sleepy on rainy days?
thanks --even for ketchup and chocolate!
DECEMBER 2015
grandchildren to cook and sew (while they are still hungry
to learn), write a love letter in your own handwriting to
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