Family Personal

Keep Cooking, Start Zooming, Act Smart, Stay Safe, Be Brave

When the world seemed devoid of life, I found comfort in cooking and the Easter message.

A couple of things: I have never used the word “devoid” so much in my life. The streets are devoid of cars, the buses are devoid of passengers, and churches devoid of parishioners. And another thing: I have not cooked this much since the kids started graduating from high school in 2006.

It has been kind of nice to find contentment at home, relearn my way around the kitchen and repurpose leftovers. I forgot what a creative outlet cooking can be. When you cook from scratch, a relationship develops between you and your ingredients. You have the opportunity to really see your food, think about your food and give it thanks. In time -which we now have more of- it all culminates into a dining celebration and a beautiful plate (remember to eat the rainbow). I can only imagine how gratifying it must be if the vegetables had come from one’s own garden.

Our Virtual Easter Sunday

In Arkansas, this past Easter Sunday was mysteriously rainy. The dark skies and blanket of rain made watching Easter service from home feel right. At the beginning of the service, Bishop Benefield laid out the rules. He gave us the page numbers to follow along with in the Book of Common Prayer and instructed us to, if we liked, get our own bread and wine for communion. The Bishop’s homily was modern, comforting, and reflective. One of his better ones, I think. At the end, we participated together in communion. Well … sort of together. It was surprisingly reverent, even if my communion wafer was cheese bread and I had a little more than the usual sip of wine from the chalice.

Though the world around us seems devoid of people, our quality of life does not have to be. Keep Cooking. Start Zooming, Act Smart, Stay Safe, Be Brave and Keep it Up. PEACE, my friends.