Mom's Potato Masher

Mom's potato masher. It's been almost forty years since the death of my mother. Her illness was short, and her passing unexpected, so we did not make time for goodbyes. In the process of going through her possessions I ended up with a few of her cooking utensils; a slotted spoon, a rolling pin, an egg beater, a soup ladle, and a potato masher. Now none of these have any monetary value, and would generally not be considered valuable. However, for almost the last forty years every meal I have prepared, and there have been many, have brought back memories of my Mom.Each time I reach for that potato masher, I think of her because growing up we had mashed potatoes for dinner almost every night. Now I can honestly say that I don't think Mom was a gourmet cook, as every vegetable I ate as a child was out of a can. But more importantly, my Mom cooked and served dinner each night as we sat down as a family at our kitchen table. Now I do remember a few tears because we were required to clean our plates regardless of how we felt about the food. We shared laughter, quarreled with a sibling or two, and talked about our day. It was at the dinner table that our Dad announced the upcoming birth of our baby sister. It was here that he read the itinerary of what would become our favorite vacation to New England to celebrate the Bicentennial in 1976. What I do know is that that the tradition of eating dinner at home was carried on with my own family. Eating out was usually reserved for the weekends and we shared many a meal around the kitchen table. I'm proud to say that my mother's legacy continues today in my daughter's home as she cooks for her family and sits down to a nightly meal around her own kitchen table. Thanks Mom for teaching me the importance of family.