The Diner Cup

A while back I put away my cup and saucer collection because my daughter and her 2-year-old came to live with us for a few months after they lost their husband/daddy in a tragic accident almost two years ago.  This morning I decided that it was time to bring them out again.  My daughter and her son have been back out on their own for quite a while already and he is almost four.  He now understands about leaving certain things alone.  So, I got the step stool and brought my friends out of their hibernation in the upper shelves of the kitchen.

As I soaped them up, rinsed them off and dried them, I enjoyed the different textures, weights and shapes from fine china to handmade pottery.  As I arranged them on the window sill and counter, I thought about how this little collection started and I reminisced about each set as I prepared it for display.

For example, this one was a gift from one of my daughters-in-law.  It's handmade which makes it highly respectable in my eyes with a rugged beauty about it.



This one was purchased at Williams Sonoma (well, la-tee-dah) on sale, of course, because it was square and on sale.

But of these and all the rest, here’s my favorite today as I arrange these pairs in my home—the diner cup.  I bought it at an estate sale at an old home in Navasota, Texas, several years ago.  I would imagine that if it could talk, I would hear some interesting tales.

As I looked at it, I began to ponder why it appealed to me.  It’s not pretty, at all.  No interesting shape or pattern here.  It’s plain and simple, ah, but oh so durable with a good heft to it.  That’s it!  That’s what draws me to this duo.  This cup and saucer were probably thrown into many a bus boy’s tub and, then, callously dumped into hot, soapy dishwater or thoughtlessly loaded into many a dishwasher without even chipping.  Today it says to me, “Sure, I’ve had a tough life and I may be a little stained but I’m still serving my purpose and I’ve brought countless people comfort over time.”

So, I gathered inspiration from this humble little cup and saucer and vowed to do a better job of standing strong in the face of life’s challenges and continuing to serve my purpose as it unfolds.