Today, Good Friday, I began to prepare for the large family gathering that I will be hosting this year. I will be surrounded by family, friends and traditions based upon faith and love. I know memories will be made and recorded through photos that will be taken on Sunday for those of us today to remember, but most importantly, so those of tomorrow can have the proof of Traditions! Famiglia! Carrying on legacies is a responsibility and by repeating certain traditions, we keep those we have loved and lost close at hand, as I witnessed today. For the very first time, I decided to pull out a recipe that had been my grandmother's, but my mother inherited it and made it every Easter. It is called Sweet Pie. It is made with ricotta cheese, eggs, chocolate and maraschino cherries and baked in a pie crust. I fondly remembered helping my mom make this pie. My chore was to dice the cherries. I also got to watch the pink mix master bowl spin around and around as it blended the cheese and eggs. She skillfully made her own crust for the pie and rolled out the dough with ease. She would have flour in her hair and on her forehead.
Today, as I worked in my kitchen, I could feel her presence all around me. I felt as if gentle hands were guiding mine to cut up, mix up and blend it all just so. I felt the presence of my grandmother, as well, helping me lift the heavy pink bowl to pour the batter into the pie plates. Yup, the very same one my mother had used. Everything on Easter Sunday will be loving prepared for my family just as I had been taught. Life goes on, things change, we grow up, we grow old, we nurture and continue to show our love. Some things will never change or be forgotten. What a great day I had with my mom and grandmother today. Tonight, I continue to scrub my fingers that were stained by the cherries and smile as I remember doing that many years ago too. Today, it finally dawned on me why my mom gave me the job of cutting up the cherries!
Sunday, I will sit back and watch my family enjoy what I have enjoyed for so many years: edible love! Happy Easter.
