I’m cooking with this bowl tonight. And as I pulled it out of the cupboard, I lifted it up and gave thanks. It’s become a little ritual for me.
This pyrex bowl is a reminder of where I came from, of how far I’ve come, that I’ve survived — and importantly, that I made it.
See, I bought this bowl 20-some years ago at Walmart. At the time, I was unemployed. I was living in a small apartment with just a handful of dishes. I was sleeping on a mattress on the floor. And when I bought this bowl, something to cook food in my microwave oven, I remember thinking it would be my last “indulgence” for a while. I seem to remember it cost $13 (I could be wrong about that), and I’d spent more money than I felt comfortable parting with. I was down to a few dollars in my bank account. The plans I’d made for my life weren’t working out. Things weren’t working the way I’d hoped. My dreams had been abruptly changed, and I had no clear direction. And I, at the time, felt completely lost. I didn’t know if or how I was gonna make it. All I could do was survive one day at a time.
And I did. Things slowly began to fall into place. I started making progress toward a new career. I began rebuilding my life — seemingly one Walmart dish at a time.
Now, two decades later, I still have this bowl. And I still use it in my microwave. This time in my own house that I share with my life partner, and looking backwards at a long, healthy career. One that I didn’t plan, but which I fell into. And it has been good to me. And everytime I use this pyrex bowl, it reminds me that things worked out. That I made it. That life doesn’t always work out the way we plan. But it can still be good.
So, tonight, while I’m cooking some potatoes in this pyrex bowl to go along with dinner, I remember. And I celebrate.