Sustenance for The Spirit
October is a sentimental month for many who have lost loved ones. Depending on the research you peruse, September, October and November have a tendency to be months of mourning due to a higher rate of human loss of life. Probably most of you reading this has lost at least one close family member or friend during the fall of the year. My dad passed away in September of 2011 and my mother died in October of 2019, a year ago. There are others I could list, but that is not really the point of this post, and since my goal is not to depress you, let’s move on to more uplifting thoughts. However, through loss and lament, we do gain a better grasp of values like compassion and comfort, and it is a blessing to be reminded as we pass through periods of remembrance.
In Ecclesiastes 3, the part where we read, “For everything there is a season,” a little further down we see an interesting line in verse 4, “a time to weep, and a time to laugh…” That concept of “laughter through tears,” as stated by Dolly Parton’s character in the movie, “Steel Magnolias”, may seem odd, but reveals so much about life on earth, especially where grief is concerned. Recently, I was able to be with my sister on the one year anniversary of our mother’s passing, and we lived out Ecclesiastes 3:4, the first part quoted above, and the second part, “a time to mourn, and a time to dance;” (To be literal, we should substitute the word walk for dance…we did a three mile walk in a brisk Autumn mist, and mother would not have appreciated the dancing near as much as the walking.) We remembered her together as we sorted through zillions of pictures, laughing and fighting the lumps in our throats. We realized that we were sifting through the things mother had kept of her parents and my dad, so it was a deep walk of memories, relatives and friends, many we didn’t recognize and places we had never seen. It’s a process, this grief thing, this moving on. As we looked through the door to the past, we were opening a new door of memories created for us, looking ahead.
My sister’s hospitality was great. It was evident that she had planned and made preparations for our visit. The accommodations were comfortable, the time filled but not over-filled with activities and the food was wonderful. My favorite food she served might have been an afterthought on her part, but was so good. She made a pimento cheese that had just the nicest little kick to it. I think I could have swam in it. Maybe it was something I was craving and didn’t realize, but it was a definite highlight for me. I want to share it with you today, as I’ve caused you to reminisce. We make connections in this life, and remembering lost loved ones may make a food memory pop into your brain. I think that is what will happen for me in October of next year, or the next time I’m able to visit my sister in Arkansas…I’ll unconsciously remember this pimento cheese:
Jill’s Pimento Cheese
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
3 tablespoons pimentos
½ cup mayonnaise
Dash salt
Dash cayenne pepper
Dash Worcestershire sauce
½–1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Mix together cream cheese, mayo, salt, pepper, paprika and Worcestershire sauce.
Add cheese, onions* and pimentos. Stir until well combined. Add more mayo if stiff.
Refrigerate overnight for best results.
*Add ¼ cup finely chopped onions
(Shared with permission from Jill Casey)
Enjoy and have a great day!
