Community

Treat Your Neighbor

Jeanna GLeave a comment

After worship, the congregation heads down to the fellowship hall to snack and chitchat with each other. One Sunday, I spotted some macaroons on a cookie tray, and greedily picked through the assortment to grab three of them. I hadn’t had a macaroon in years, and that one cookie got me thinking about growing up next to my neighbor, Mrs. Jenkins. After her husband passed, she would have me over for chocolate macaroons and to chat in her kitchen. We would talk about what I was learning in school, what activities I was involved in, how her strawberry rhubarb was growing in the backyard garden, and other pleasantries. It was a sweet exchange; macaroons for me, and company for her. 

Our other neighbors would buy wrapping paper and citrus fruit to support our school and club fundraisers, but my visits with Mrs. Jenkins were just different. 

Nowadays, I know my neighbor’s names, and I shoot the breeze with a few of them, but at Christmas, I take cookies door-to-door, because a sweet treat just might be the difference we need. 

Luck of the Pot

Jeanna GLeave a comment

I was at a Friendsgiving on Sunday evening, and it was a potluck. I brought stuffing…easy to identify. Some other dishes, however, got me thinking about the true meaning of the word “potluck.”  Like you could really be pressing your luck by trying some of these mysterious concoctions! 

One pot was filled with a pineapple and cheese casserole, apparently a Thanksgiving table staple in the south. I’d never heard of such a thing, which is delightfully surprising to a self-proclaimed foodie. This introduction to a new recipe also got me excited about the fact that potlucks are making a comeback post-Covid. As someone who grew up on family reunion and church potlucks, I felt a loss when sharing homemade food came to an abrupt stop four years ago. But I digress. 

Later that night I decided to research potlucks. What I found out from my internet search is they have always been about sharing, but not necessarily with friends and family. Back in the day, people would keep their leftovers warm in a pot in case someone in need knocked on the door unexpectedly. During the Great Depression, communities of families would gather their food together to make more nutrient-complete meals for one another. What a beautiful practice! 

I hope that this Thanksgiving brings an opportunity to all of you to share something with someone. Whether it’s a casserole or a loaf of bread to break, or something that costs you nothing, like a smile and a handshake. Share a recipe, an anecdote, a laugh, or a turkey bone wish… that the luck of the pot will always land on your dish.