When you open your heart to giving, angels fly to your door. ~Author Unknown

On Thanksgiving morning, I opened my email and read an email from a friend in my women’s club:

“Thank you for the vintage Bundt pan. It’s even more special as your mom gave it to you. Will definitely make the sherry cake. Love, J.”

A few weeks ago, while in the process of decluttering my kitchen, I noticed I had several duplicate items and thought I would try to rehome a few Pyrex pie plates, casseroles, and an extra Bundt pan to local friends. I created a post on Facebook announcing I had extra bakeware I was giving away.

The friend who sent me the email is also an avid baker; she had seen my post on Facebook and said she would love to have the vintage Bundt pan. I was more than happy for her to have it, so I wrapped it up and set it aside to drop off to her home.

The Bundt pan sat in my office for well over a week. Each morning I looked at it and told myself that I needed to drop it off, yet I didn’t. After two weeks of procrastination, the idea of dropping off the pan just didn’t feel right. I knew I wanted to give the pan to this friend, but I felt empty.

I sat down and stared at the Bundt pan. I had received it as a Christmas gift from my Mom many years ago; she knew how much I loved her mini Bundt pan, the one she had received as a bridal shower gift in 1963. My Mom would loan it to me, but she wouldn’t give it to me to keep. “When I’m dead and gone. Then you can have it” she would tell me – so instead, she searched and found a vintage Bundt pan, wrapped it up and presented to me for Christmas.

Over the years, the vintage pan worked well for me, but I still yearned for my Mom’s Mini Bundt pan.

When my Mom died, it was the first thing I claimed and took home. That Mini Bundt pan was the only item of hers I ever wanted; it brought such joy when it was used for sherry cake – my Mom’s signature recipe and the only cake my Dad would eat.

That’s when I realized what was missing: the recipe for my Mom’s sherry cake! I was happy to pass on the “fill-in-until-I-get-Mom’s” vintage pan but I couldn’t pass it on without including my Mom’s recipe for sherry cake. Passing it along with the recipe was like sharing my Mom’s memory. I liked the way that made me feel.

“You are most welcome”, I replied to the email. “I love passing along things someone else can enjoy and sharing my Mom’s recipe was just as joyful as passing along the Bundt pan.”

My heart was open, it was full, and I know my Mom would be pleased.