little red pan

i started to cook my son a veggie burger today ( that i made comepletely from scratch), and as i poured the olive oil into the little black circle my heart was warmed. i thought of how many years ive had this little pan, how many tiny meals i made with it, and how many different homes and townes its lived in. thinking about this made me smile, it made also made me proud of the fact ( no matter how many times i may bitch) that i hand wash all my dishes everyday. just my two hands, soap and water. i get to show grattitude to every cup, bowl, plate and utensil everyday. and pan. in a world where please and thankyou are quickley falling prey to assumptions and routine, i feel like every dish i wash reminds me to slow down, be gratful for what i have, and humble to the person that ive become. why is it more important that our children know the names of dead presidents, and not where our food comes from our when to plant certain seeds? why are rushing all the time and where are we trying to get to? i dont want your fancy dishwasher, your micro-wave, or your electronic game that teaches my kid the alpabet. i want soap and a hand crochetd dish towel, i want to slow cook with love, and i want to sing a 100 year old song over and over. all i know is that i love my son, i love my friends, and even though its hard now and then, i know that every tear i cry waters the earth beneath me thats makes me grow into the woman i need to be.