Those that have passed on have so much to share with us, so I invited my Grandmother Ruth to join us even though she passed away many years ago. What? Yes. The doorbell rang (conveniently as the prayer on the food finished), and we brought the suitcase in from the porch and unpacked a framed portrait of Ruth when she was 16 with a large satin bow in her hair. We set her framed picture at the table and also unpacked a green brocade dress and more pictures. My mother and I chose several objects and places that related to Ruth's life and created a powerpoint presentation. When I set my laptop on the rotating center of the table, we had what now resembled a "theatre in the round." The orange crates she made into chairs, (thanks google images for the picture of the crates) and the phone she used (thanks again to google) to call the grocer when her husband called to say he was bringing clients home for dinner, made their way around the table as each great grandchild gained insight into her world, her talents, her creativity, and the way she solved her problems. We enjoyed her moist oatmeal cake with broiled icing for dessert.
The children's comments included:
"She made do with what she had."
"Loved it!"
"She was a good cook."
"She was super creative."
I deeply admire Ruth's creativity to make her surroundings beautiful with limited resources and her cooking skills that made family, friends and business associates alike feel loved. Learning about her helped me recognize and renew my desire to make home a loving and beautiful place where those who enter are fed, encouraged and nurtured.
When our hearts turn to our ancestors, something changes inside us.
- Russell M. Nelson
