Amy J. Bennett

Extraordinary Faith for Everyday Life

Five Minute Friday: Roots

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Source: google.com via Amy on Pinterest

 

Last night at Walmart I spent a boatload of money.  Ugh.  I hate that.  But Lexi’s candy-themed birthday party is this weekend so we grabbed a bunch candy 50% off and then both girls needed new book bags because the ones they’ve been using just haven’t worked out.  And then I went ahead and bought her gifts and all the paper products and the cookie cake I need to serve at her school lunch today.  You know how it goes there. 

While we were at the customer service counter before we picked out all this, trying to return a toy we didn’t use as a gift, I heard it.  That western PA/MD accent that I can pick out of any crowd because every single one of extended family members speaks with it.  I hear it and it transforms me to my roots, all the way from the Carolina blue skies to the Appalachian mountains where I lived just until 3 and where we return as often as we can.

She confirmed she was from Pittsburgh and we laughed an understanding laugh about the accent, how we both can pick it out from a crowd.  We talked about the county where my grandmother lives, closest to Pittsburgh and she knew someone that worked there with my mother’s maiden name.  That never happens here, away from my roots.

As we connected, we were in our own little world.  It wasn’t two strangers over a Walmart customer service counter, it was somehow family, a knowing, a trust because even in a small way our roots were connected.

I often hope it’s the same when I meet the One in whom I am rooted.  A knowing.  A trust.  Family.

 

 

Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.

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Comments

  1. I love it! I had a “moment” with a girl at Kohl’s yesterday because we were dressed both in grey and purple and I teased her that we could pose for a photo shoot together. I don’t think she found me quite that funny, but I was so witty!
    Jennifer Lambert recently posted…Introducing Camo Dad Cooks!My Profile

    • Ha! I can see you whipping out a phone to take a picture 🙂 Perhaps she doesn’t understand the allure of Instagram 🙂

  3. I love the familiarity that comes so naturally with certain people. I think of them as little gifts along the way. We live in a very monocultural town, primarily Caucasian, although that is changing somewhat. I would see another Asian in the tiny aisles of Safeway, in the Asian section which consisted of Kikkoman soy sauce and some boxed Chinese mixes and we would have an instant moment commiserating the lack of options and the need for a good Asian market. I love the common threads in life that bind us all together and even moreso the tie that binds all of us Christians into one body.
    Alia Joy recently posted…Five Minute Friday: RootsMy Profile

    • Yes! I love the idea that they are little gifts along the way. The lady last night definitely felt like that looking back. Thank you for your thoughtful comment, Alia. Your writing is a gift!

  5. Amy- Yes, there is something about connecting with someone from our roots, “a knowing, a trust”

    We live in Western PA!! Moved here a year ago- but it is the land of my husbands roots. Now I understand he is not the only one who says words a certain way! And has been a gift to connect with his extended relatives that he hasn’t been around since he was 13.
    Melanie recently posted…Comment on The Harvest of Allume- Day 30 by Jennifer@GDWJMy Profile

    • Oh, very cool. I was actually born in Cumberland, MD. My mom’s family is all in Bedford county, PA. You’ll have to let me know if you’re familiar!

  6. Do not understand how we didn’t seem to find each other at Allume – where does the time go? We would’ve certainly bonded over our maountains and being spectacularly witty brunette Amys! I bet I wouldn’t need to throw an ‘apple at cha” for the way you say the name of those mountains, either.
    Amy Tilson recently posted…These Roots Run DeepMy Profile

    • “spectacularly witty brunette Amys” love it! We definitely should have connected at Allume. I saw you multiple times, just didn’t hit me to stop and talk. I was saying on Twitter the other day I really wish I would have bucked up and sat at a different table at each meal!

      • I saw you too. I did the table thing a couple times, but I’m always afraid others are thinking that I need to just dial it down a couple notches and back up about 5 feet. The extroverts dilemma. Oh, well, one lf the days…
        Amy Tilson recently posted…These Roots Run DeepMy Profile