Not Ready to Let Go

Ten years ago, my friend and I went on a tea kettle hunting adventure. We lunched at Basil Cafe where the waitress was quite surprised to hear there were people under the age of eighty interested in drinking tea at all, let alone owning their own kettles. This did not deter us. One outlet mall later and I was the proud owner of a Pfaltzgraff  kettle that matched my coveted dish pattern – Summer Breeze. I used that kettle almost every day until the Kettle Slaying Incident of 2012. Most days, I came home from work and started the tea water before I even took my coat or name badge off.  And every day, it made me smile.  Such a cheerful pattern, and such a happy memory to go with it.

After the kettle was well and truly slain, I couldn’t quite part with it. It sat under the sink for a little while. And then on the counter. And then back under the sink. And then filled with water near the heat register as a mini-humidifier. And then on the corner of the desk. And then! Then our Church School children were sent home with little flowering plants. As we have two bears who qualify as Church School children, our house welcomed four tiny plants. Having no immediate use for the growing things, the smallish bears left them on the living room table. I nearly threw them out, but then (but then!) I remembered the gorgeous, lovely, cheerful, kettle-without-a-purpose taking up space in the back bedroom.

It is just right. I look at it and remember the hunt for the kettle, the many cups of tea with many dear friends over ten years’ time. And I watch new, healthy things growing in it now.

Kettle Resurrected