The Life of a Pot

I knew the day was coming. The day when I would have to say good-bye to my favorite cooking pot. It wasn't a fancy pan, but rather a simple stainless steel pot that had a copper bottom and a black plastic handle. I have had this pan in my possession for as long as I can remember..probably since 1996. It has found a home in my many kitchens and while other pots and pans of equal or greater importance have joined the ranks, this pan has always been my favorite.
The pan belonged to my Great Aunt Margaret. While I was the recipient of all her paintbrushes and art books, somehow someone thought this pan had some important significance. It found a home in my kitchen and became the kids pasta pot. I would bypass all of the other "fancy" ones in order to whip up a fantastic meal for my kiddos in that pot (fantastic was meant to sound sarcastic :)!) The great thing about this pot was once the liquid began to boil, the pot would bounce and wiggle all over the stove top. I found this annoying at first, pulling it back on the appropriate burner, but then I started to think deeper. *stay with me here*...I began to think maybe it was my Aunt Margaret trying to say "hello, my dear." I don't mean that in a creepy way, just a way to put a smile on my face as I slave away at tasks in the kitchen. The pot was similar to her personality; fun, goofy, sweet and bouncy. Sometimes I see my many traits in her.
Over the past few months, I could tell the day was coming. It moved from being the pasta pot to the steamer pot, perfectly steaming broccoli and sprouts whenever I asked. Tragically, the handle fell off last week and I suddenly felt a little part of me become overwhelmed with sadness. I'm unable to pitch it, but rather just use a potholder to grab the handle. Who knew a memory of a special person could be found in a form of a pot...kind of cool if you ask me.