I decided to make mashed potatoes for supper the other day. Something I have done many times. From the famous garlic mashed potatoes for family parties to the much smaller amount I now make since the kids have grown up and left the house, I am no stranger to peeling, mashing and whipping. Making them is a mundane, unexciting chore. As I reached into the bag to pull out several spuds, I was surprised to find the one in the picture above.
There it was in my hand. A potato in the perfect shape of a heart! I had to stop for a minute and consider what this meant. Making mashed potatoes should be ordinary. Boring. Uninspired. But there it was smooth and grown into that perfect shape for me to see at just this moment. And the first thing that came into my head was the quote “Do small things with great love” (Mother Theresa). So many times the daily routine may not seem important. Especially for us older women as families grow up, kids move on and our roles change. When there are not as many faces around the table cooking can be a bit less inspiring.
But I believe the potato knew that is not true at all. Whether you are feeding 1 or 20, the simple act of seeing to the well being of yourself and others with love remains one of the most important tasks of each day. So I set that heart shaped potato on the window ledge because I could not bear to peel it that day. It remained there for awhile, a simple reminder of the importance of small things. And I made a batch of simple mashed potatoes with great love.
There it was in my hand. A potato in the perfect shape of a heart! I had to stop for a minute and consider what this meant. Making mashed potatoes should be ordinary. Boring. Uninspired. But there it was smooth and grown into that perfect shape for me to see at just this moment. And the first thing that came into my head was the quote “Do small things with great love” (Mother Theresa). So many times the daily routine may not seem important. Especially for us older women as families grow up, kids move on and our roles change. When there are not as many faces around the table cooking can be a bit less inspiring.
But I believe the potato knew that is not true at all. Whether you are feeding 1 or 20, the simple act of seeing to the well being of yourself and others with love remains one of the most important tasks of each day. So I set that heart shaped potato on the window ledge because I could not bear to peel it that day. It remained there for awhile, a simple reminder of the importance of small things. And I made a batch of simple mashed potatoes with great love.
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