This Easter I set the table for dinner with my grandmother’s china. It’s not particularly stylish or an expensive set but it is rich in associations. My grandmother like many of yours lived through the Depression and moved from place to place with my grandfather and father as they sought out jobs to put food on the table and a roof over their heads.

When we got it, it was still kept in a wooden, slatted, crate with sawdust for packing. It was in really good shape. I like to use it in the spring because it has so much pink and pastel colors in it. I’m pretty sure most of you have something like this that you cherish.

Just think of the depression and the shortages of WWII. There may not have been a lot to put on these plates but I know they were used for Sunday dinners and celebratory occasions. There was a little extra effort put out whether the feast was big or meager. I look at photos of my grandparents and father during those years and note how remarkably thin they were. Did you know that one of the main reasons for rejection to serve in the Armed Forces in WWII was poor dentition? Bad teeth? Most likely from poor nutrition during the Depression.

I think of some of these things when I use these dishes. About how my grandparents endured much more than I have had to. How they didn’t blame God or give up going to church. Also, how they practiced hospitality, enjoyed beautiful things, and had family meals every day.

I hope you, too, have something that evokes memories of inspirational people who have gone before you. Let’s thank God that He gives us examples of living and loving both here, now, and in His book, the Bible.

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three, but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13

-Patti

Patti’s Easter table