For years in our little family, there was a funny expression my father used all the time whenever we would prepare to make supper. “Rattle those pots & pans”, he would say through laughter. Once my sister and I were grown, his delightful expression followed us to our own kitchens. By that time, while my sister and I lived close to one another, Daddy lived a few hours away. So, the late afternoon call would come from him to either of us, “How are you? How is your day going? What’s for dinner?” So many times, he’d go toward the last of the conversation saying, “Since it’s close to supper time, you should go rattle those pots & pans.” Then, the call would always end with him saying, “I love you.” Dad was just cool like that. My sister and I both had a very strong relationship with Daddy. We represent the epitome of Daddy’s girls. Dad has been gone from among us for almost sixteen years, yet I still wish he would call either of us just one more time.
Knowing the back story, you can imagine my surprise the other day when I was alone. I was standing alone at the kitchen sink in a blissfully silent house. I was struck by the oddest sound. Suddenly, there was a giant whoosh sound coming from the west side of our house. In the split second the sound had to register in my brain, I thought perhaps it was a military jet flying overhead. Since the unrest in Ukraine began, it seemed we had heard the jets flying more frequently. Training maneuvers perhaps? The sound seemed to pass right through our house and me, then suddenly dissipate. Just as the whoosh sound was gone my tea kettle began to dance atop the stove. Yet, there was no boiling water to cause its dance. Then, as if to answer the kettle, the copper pots began to hum and shake while they too danced on their tall copper stand. I walked across my kitchen and grasped one fidgeting copper pot by its handle, while all its dance partners continued their humming. The humming and dancing slowly faded and I was left standing alone in my again silent kitchen wondering if I’d finally gone around the bend.
Then, I laughed remembering Daddy’s funny expression of “Rattle those pots & pans.” It was almost as if he was sending me a Valentine’s Day “love you” from Heaven.
“Love you, too, Daddy!” said I, aloud in my silent house.
-submitted by Alicia May Fisher
