The Spatula

Have you ever had a favorite tool? Many guys have a favorite hammer or power tool. They will spend an extra 15 minutes looking for THAT particular tool before using the other one in front of them. My husband had one of those. It was the red handled hammer. Pity the person who did not put it back in the correct drawer of the tool chest.

If you spend much time in the kitchen you may have developed a preference for a certain gadget. A whisk, a pan, or knife may have become your go-to tool when whipping up a meal. For me, my meat chopper is the one thing I will always grab when browning meat. I have even been known to give one as a gift to friends.

Maddy didn't spend too much time in the kitchen, but he was the main breakfast chef. When the girls were little, we had a tradition that he cooked breakfast for us on Saturday mornings. Pancakes, waffles, French toast, and eggs and bacon were some of the choices on the menu each week. For almost everything he cooked, he used a spatula, but not just any spatula. He had to use the blue spatula. Was there something special about this spatula? No. Did this spatula have a special coating or properties that made it superior to all other spatulas? No. It is old, cheap, and becoming discolored. He thought this particular spatula was the right size for all the jobs in the kitchen. The angle of the handle was perfect for flipping pancakes and French toast. He could scoop out scrambled eggs with ease and turn sausage with no problem. Maddy would get the spatula out before any pans or ingredients.

One day, the unthinkable happened - the spatula disappeared. It wasn't in the drawer it was supposed to be in or any other drawer in the kitchen. I searched every cabinet, drawer, and appliance. I even looked in the cabinet under the drawer in case in fell out the back of the

drawer. It seemed the spatula had gone the way of the disappearing socks in the dryer.

After this fateful day, every time we were in a department store, kitchen gadget shop, or discount warehouse he looked for a spatula that came close to his favorite one. When we found one that seemed similar, it proved itself to be unworthy.

This scenario went on for years. Every time he cooked, he would bemoan the fact that he was without his favorite spatula. I heard how the one he was using was not as good as "his" spatula. Honestly, after awhile, I tuned him out.

Then, one day, the drawer wouldn't close. I decided to pull the whole thing out to see what was in the way. Low and behold, there, on the side by the drawer slides, was that old, cheap, blue spatula! It was like the prodigal son had returned. He was almost giddy!

Our tradition of Saturday breakfast morphed into the two of us eating out together once the girls were older and working. He still used the spatula when we had breakfast for dinner or to fry an egg or bologna for a sandwich.

I still use that old spatula. I haven't found one that I like better, and it makes me feel closer to Maddy every time I hold it. That spatula is not pretty. It's not valuable. It will probably break before too long. But, it reminds me that appearance doesn't determine the worth of an object or person. Just because it's old doesn't mean it can't work. It also helps me remember that even the most plain, obscure object can become a sentimental holder of many memories.

Treasure the memories in the old, everyday objects that you encounter in your life. Appreciate the people that use them and love them.

Find your spatula.