Spatula

Today I did my little piece of creative writing for DGMA Women's Group, about an object which reminds me of home....

"The object which reminds me of home is this ordinary wooden spatula. It is old – it was old even when I first used it - and worn from long years of use. Home for me means family, and cooking countless meals for them. I have spent many hours using this spatula in my kitchen, stirring soups , frying onions and garlic to make a pasta sauce, or lifting the edges of omelettes and pancakes.

Two years ago, I visited Auschwitz. In the museum were collections of objects taken from those who perished there. They had packed suitcases of possessions, not knowing where they were going or for how long they would be away from home. I remember looking at piles of kitchen implements, including cooking pots and cheese graters, and wondering what on earth these people were thinking when they chose those objects. Now I think that these were the tools that they had used, day after day, to express their love of home and family. They remain as a poignant symbol of a lost future.

My children now use this same spatula and I hope that the feel of it in their hands as they cook will speak to them of home and of the gift of love through providing food which nourishes both body and soul."