I had a hankering for my Aunt Betty’s potato salad the other day.
This dish was served in the backyard when we went to her house to celebrate the July 4th holiday. Her salad, with sour cream, sans mustard, ruined me for store bought potato salad since.
It’s interesting how the memory of eating a favorite dish from childhood can take you back. And it’s even more precious because not only are we reminded of the the meal, but also of the individual who prepared it and with whom we shared it.
At the grocery store recently, I totally experienced a “W.W.A.B.D.” moment as I tried to recall the salad’s ingredients. How would Aunt Betty make this? Fresh dill, I think. Definitely green onions. Hard boiled eggs and red potatoes with the skin still on.
[bctt tweet=”It’s interesting how the memory of eating a favorite dish from childhood can take you back.” username=”womenoftheelca”]
It makes sense that blessing, then sharing wine and bread at communion is a profound worship experience. It connects us to Jesus and the disciples. The ritual can take us back to remembering other experiences of communion, maybe as far back as childhood or even our first communion.
A meal is central to our relationships. Communion is central to our faith. It connects us to the saints and all who share this common meal during worship. It can even connect us to people who believe differently than us–because we are truly one body in Christ.
A simple meal can connect us to those who are no longer with us. And it can also continue to live with us today, helping us to stay connected the one who gives us life.
How has a meal connected you to the past?
Elizabeth McBride is editor for Cafe and director for intergenerational programs.
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Photo by Quinn Dombrowski | CC BY-SA
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