5 wheat kernels

This post from the amazing Puj designer/owner Katie Richardson.


I am so thrilled to be here talking about Thanksgiving traditions. I certainly enjoy the nostalgia of homemade stuffing and pumpkin pie, but what I love most about Thanksgiving is the opportunity to reflect on my many blessings and share those thoughts and feelings with loved ones. In years past, as we gathered the family around the table, we would each take a turn vocalize 5 blessings, each represented by 5 kernels of corn placed by our plate. These tokens represent the pilgrims rations in 1623 known as the "starving time." They would sometimes go up to 5 days on these few kernels of corn. My husband and I have instituted a new tradition in our own family. The 5 kernels of corn have now been replaced with 5 kernels of wheat. This is a reminder of a time in our own family where food was quite sparse. We had turned down several job offers to pursing our dreams. Blessed with the foresight and instruction to prepare for hard times, we had been setting aside food to be stored. Soon we found ourselves in need of this food storage. Often times, the only thing we would have to eat was bread that I had made from the stored wheat kernels. This was a time in our lives that looked as though we had so little, but we knew we were being richly blessed.

A time that we never want to forget.