"Recipe of Story"

"Recipe of Story" all started because I was getting an over abundance of notecards filled with amazing quotes from books I had read. Each time I read a book, I would use a notecard as a bookmark so that I could write down those lines in stories that I wanted to hold on to forever.

As I sat and looked at the cards, it made me realize that within that stack, I was creating my own story. Though the words on the cards came from authors, I chose to write those words because I connected with them. They truly meant something to me. I looked back at some of the cards from a few years ago, and I could remember why I wrote it, but I also realized that from those quotes I have grown and changed, but it was still a part of my story.

All of these cards filled with book quotes then reminded me of all of the recipe cards that made up the story of family gatherings growing up. The dishes that were at every family function. Some of the recipes were ones I can taste just reading through the ingredients. There were ones I remember seeing on the table, but didn't necessarily add to my plate. Regardless, each of those recipes reminded me of a person, a gathering, a story. And that's when the magic happened.

Passing down food recipes is a long time tradition for many families across many generations. It's one so many of us are grateful for. But, I want to create another box of recipies to pass down - "Recipe of Story." I don't see my family going through the book journals I have kept, but I can see them flipping through a box of recipe cards, reading quotes from books that I read. I can imagine what it might feel like when they read a quote and connect with it, too. They will look at the book title and run to find that book and hopefully read it cover to cover. They will find the quote while they read, and what a magical moment that will be.

This treasure chest of words is something that you can find joy each time you add a card, or sit down and flip through the cards yourself. There's freedom in how you choose to organize it, what you choose to put into it, and most importantly, what words you choose to protect within the box.

Grab your box, your recipe cards, and a writing utensil. It's time to create a "Recipe of Story."