The Saturday Journal: The Treasures We Hold Within
For many children, school began weeks ago and others–day one begins soon. This time of the year always brings memories of the blessing I had while working as an elementary school tutor and a special memory of a little boy who gave me a gift from his classroom’s share table.
He was a second grader–his shoes never tied and his pants always one size too big, and he wore a smile that could pierce straight through the hardest of hearts. On this day he brought me a tangerine from the breakfast share table–a table where classmates would share their breakfast items with others, if they didn’t want theirs.
“I brought you something,” he said. And then he reached into his ragged hoodie and pulled out his gift. I had to look away. My eyes were leaking.
We all have this power inside us. This power of giving. This power of kindness. This power of touching others with our treasures–some we hold in our hands–and others we can only hold in our hearts.
And sadly, we all can have a different kind of power, if we choose. Self-centeredness. Greed. Inconsiderate. Unkind.
I know this is absurd–but it’s a true story. I heard it just the other day while listening to a podcast about state fairs and food and secret recipes. This lady–she won multiple ribbons for her brownies. And time after time she was asked to share her recipe and her answer was always, NO.
And the woman, she died. And her ‘highly regarded prize winning” brownie recipe–it didn’t die with her–so to speak. It’s engraved on the back of her tombstone. I kid you not. I’m not making this up. I also learned this is “not uncommon”--for recipes to be shared in this way.
There’s this lady I know and she buys cake carriers–in bulk. She needs them for her cakes. The pound cakes she bakes and gives away–for teachers and school meals–to individuals and families. And her cakes are works of art–filled with the moistest of chocolate and layers of swirls of the creamiest of chocolate icing. And if you have never baked a pound cake–they take a lot of ingredients–expensive to make, and very time consuming. But none of that matters to her. And she doesn’t even mind if you forget to return the cake carrier.
Speaking of recipes, Emily Megget, at the age of 89 co-wrote and published her first and only book, Gullah Ceechee Home Cooking. Mrs. Emily, a native of Edisto Island, South Carolina began cooking at a young age and she never used a recipe, saying “I cook by my brain, and my hand and my heart.” **
And her cookbook is much more than recipes–it’s full of stories and history about the Gullah community and culture.
Emily Megget lived an extraordinary life through hard work, serving others, and serving her family. The door was always open to her home and guests and family members always made their way to her kitchen. Chef Emily, also known as the Matriarch of Gullah Geechee Cuisine, died on a Friday–April 21, 2023 at the age of 90–one year after her cookbook was published.
And in an interview with NPR in 2022, Mrs. Emily Megget said this, “A lot of times, we has a treasure in our head. And we will die and go to heaven, and take that treasury with us. And why can’t we just share it with somebody else here? I’ll get more out of that, to share it.” **
Romans 10:8-13
But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is,
the word of faith, which we preach;
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made
unto salvation.
For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed.
For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him.
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
John 3:16-17
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him
might be saved.
We spend our years as a tale that is told.
Psalm 90:9
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All photos @copyright Tathel Miller, unless otherwise credited to another photographer.
**Resource: https://www.npr.org/2022/08/15/1116289080/for-this-89-year-old-gullah-geechee-chef-cooking-is-about-heart
We never know when we have touched the heart of a child. You touched one special little boy years ago when you sat with him at a classroom Mother’s Day breakfast. Even though he is a grown man that served our country, he still speaks fondly of you and the things you did for him. Thank you for being you!