April 26: A Sharp Knife

A little over three years ago. I broke my favorite knife in our knife block, so I bought myself a fancy new kitchen knife (specifically, a Wusthof Classic Ikon 5-Inch Santoku Hollow Edge Knife) and I immediately fell in love with it. I especially delighted in how smoothly it cut through a big fat carrot. Incredibly gratifying. I use it at least once a day, but usually two or three times a day, to cut everything from leeks to celery to green beans to Brussel sprouts, all with the same delightful result, the finest most delicious dicing. And not until just recently did the knife start to dull. That's pretty good life expectancy for a knife. After being super frustrated with it for a couple of days in a row, I mentioned it to my husband. He immediately took out the honing steel from our knife block that I have literally never used (and had no idea how to use), swiped it a few times on the knife, and it was like magic, the knife was just as sharp as I remember it being. I've used it every day since, and each time, I become so full of delight when producing my favorite intricately diced vegetables, it's like I have a brand new knife again, and I mention it to my husband each and every time. (it's a thing we do... "have I told you lately... that I love what you were able to do with this knife?") It's crazy how something as small and simple as a knife has produced such delight in me. 

This all reminds me of a stanza in my favorite poem, "At the River Clarion" by Mary Oliver. 

Of course for each of us, there is the daily life.

Let us live it, gesture by gesture.

When we cut the ripe melon, should we not give it thanks?

And should we not thank the knife also?

We do not live in a simple world.

I used to use this poem all the time in sermons to illustrate gratitude for the simple things. This blog has allowed me to finally practice what I preached. I am so thankful for this amazing little knife, and for my husband, who brought it back to life. Being thankful for the small things can change your whole perspective on life. I used to be so focused on the big things, living day to day waiting for the big thing to happen, planning for it, using all my energy for it, waiting and hoping for it to give me delight, while feeling miserable and neglecting all the things that happened every day that could have delighted me. I no longer crave the big things, I no longer waste the moments I am living each second of each day waiting for delight; I find delight in the seconds. We do not live in a simple world, and I delight in its complexity. 

With delight,

♥Jamie