June 1st, 2009    A Porcelain Pot

 Rebecca and I are lucky enough to be in our thirties and still have a pair of grandparents with us.  Nana and Pop-Pop are my mother's parents, and whenever we visit them, they inspire us with their obvious love for each other.  Something about their presence always has us leaving their home thinking that the world is a really, really lovely place.                                                                         
                                                                                                                    One of Pop-Pop's creations.

Pop-Pop is teaching Rebecca to throw pots.  Though he is an exquisite potter, he's never sold a single piece, and creates his works only for family and friends.  He works primarily in porcelain, which can be a difficult medium since it tends to droop.  Even now, with shaking fingers, he curves the white porcelain into impossibly thin, light bowls.  Then, from years of expertise in chemistry, he mixes remarkable glazes, sometimes using exotic substances.  The results are often quite striking. 

Rebecca feels very blessed to have him as a teacher.  Her attention to detail, similar to Pop-Pop's, means that she is learning to craft bowls that follow in his tradition.  I imagine that like Pop-Pop, she'll never sell a bowl or cup, but will instead give them as gifts to those who have come into her life in one way or another. 


Sometimes Rebecca and I find ourselves saddened that in our culture, we so often forget our elders.  Having worked at a health care center in the past, we spent a lot of time with older people who had been largely forgotten.  These were people with stories to tell and skills to share.  But there was no one there to listen.  Sometimes we would sneak away from our job and sit in a room, sharing laughter and stories with some of these Forgotten Ones.  And we'd always come away amazed.  Many were Alzheimer's patients, and with these we'd simply enjoy the strange journey as they talked us through the seemingly random thoughts in their heads.  They appeared to enjoy the process just as much.

Nana and Pop-Pop are healthy and clear of mind, and still able to share their wisdom.  But there is probably no elder out there who doesn't have something valuable to share, if we're willing to listen with enough patience and openness. 


            Rebecca's first hand-made pottery --
                  a bowl and a syrup pitcher.
                                                                             Back to the Journal

Home