The Gift of Pound Cake?

“Home Town”, with Erin and Ben Napier is one of my favorite HGTV programs. I enjoy the humor in their relationship and love their genuine affection for family and community.

Recently on one program, while renovating a kitchen, they discovered a recipe hidden inside a cabinet door. They quickly realized this was “Miss Dot’s Pound Cake” recipe. Who was Miss Dot and why was she famous? Miss Dot was a neighbor who baked new neighbors her signature Pound Cake to welcome them into the community. This act of kindness touched the lives of many over the years and became a cherished tradition.

This story reminded me of Mrs. Carter, our next door neighbor when I was growing up. She made our family dinner after one terrible snowstorm when her electricity was working and ours was not. Ironically, “Mrs. Carter’s Pound Cake” is in my mother’s personally compiled cookbook, shared by this woman who (like Miss Dot), was known for her gracious hospitality.  I recalled these words from the Bible, “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.” (Hebrews 13:2)

But how? How in the midst of a Pandemic do we show hospitality when so many are afraid to even enter the home of another? How do we express a sense of community? How can we nurture cherished relationships?
I realized God, our Creator, gave us the gift of creativity. See if these suggestions help spur your creativity as we seek to rebuild community assaulted by the Pandemic.

1. Take a favorite recipe to a neighbor as a thank you gift. Today I’m baking banana bread for our neighbor who helped us clear our snow-packed driveway.
2. As casseroles are regaining popularity, take one to someone moving into the neighborhood who probably can’t even find a pot. Be sure it’s in a disposable pan so he/she doesn’t have to return it.
3. Fill your Crock-Pot with warm, nourishing soup, add a package of crackers, and an easy dessert like cookies. Then give it to a single Mom trying to work and still care for her children.
4. Want to try something more dramatic and permanent? Consider converting your guest room or basement into a vacation retreat for friends and family who need a get-a-way. Because stress and anxiety escalated beyond imagination during these two Pandemic years, people need a break more than ever and few are comfortable traveling in airplanes or staying in hotels. Why not make your home the place for a much-needed retreat? Some may still be hesitant, but others would embrace this welcomed respite.

 
Let’s begin 2022 by considering creative ways we can reach out to those around us, building and nurturing relationships while rediscovering the greater sense of community we all long for in these troubling times.
 
I’d love to hear your ideas and publish your stories demonstrating ways you or someone you know is touching lives and building community! Please email me today!