Crying over spilled milk
I remember the first time I cried over spilled milk. I was a toddler, still learning to walk, and I had just gotten my hands on a glass of milk. I was so excited to drink it, but my little hands weren’t quite steady enough yet, and I ended up spilling it all over the floor. I was devastated. I burst into tears and wailed for what felt like hours. It was just a glass of milk, but to me, it felt like the end of the world. My parents comforted me, cleaned up the mess, and told me it was okay to make mistakes. They encouraged me to try again and reminded me that learning to walk was just as hard as learning to drink from a glass. One of the responsibilities I had on the farm growing up was the chore of straining the frothy milk that my dad would bring to the house in an open 5-gallon stainless steel bucket. In the morning my dad would milk two milk cows by hand. To accomplish this task, I used a metal canning strainer equipped with a Kendall circle filter. Carefully, I would strain the milk, ensuring its purity, and transfer it into clean 1-gallon glass jars. Time was of the essence as I needed to complete the process before the school bus arrived to pick up my siblings and I. This often proved to be quite a challenge especially when my mother, who was a school teacher herself, was also running a bit behind schedule, eliminating the possibility of her assistance. There were moments when I could see the school bus starting to reverse, preparing to return down the gravel road! Growing older, I realized that crying over spilled milk was just a metaphor for the mistakes we make in life. We all make mistakes, big and small. Sometimes, we spill the milk, and sometimes, we make bigger mistakes that can have real consequences. But the lessons my parents taught me as a toddler still hold true. It’s okay to make mistakes. We can’t be perfect all the time. What matters is how we respond to those mistakes. Do we let them defeat us, or do we learn from them and try again? Learning to walk is a perfect example of this. When we’re learning to walk, we fall down a lot. But we don’t give up. We get back up and try again. And eventually, we learn to walk without even thinking about it. The same is true of any mistake we make in life. We need to get back up and try again. And sometimes, we need to change our approach or try a new tool or way of thinking about the problem. One tool I’ve found helpful is reframing the situation. When something goes wrong, it’s easy to get stuck in a negative mindset. But if we can reframe the situation and look for the positive or the lesson to be learned, we can turn that mistake into an opportunity for growth. Another tool is to ask for help. Sometimes, we’re too close to the problem to see a solution. Asking for help from a friend or a mentor can provide us with new ideas or a fresh perspective. In the end, crying over spilled milk isn’t the end of the world. It’s just a reminder that we’re all human, and we all make mistakes. But if we can learn from those mistakes and keep moving forward, we can achieve great things. Just like learning to walk, it takes time, patience, and a willingness to try again and again. Is there a time when you spilled the milk and needed some help to reframe the whole situation? I would love to hear a tale of your experience and how you handled it. ~ Linda With the trusty metal canning strainer, complete with a Kendall filter, I carefully poured the milk from the 5-gallon stainless steel bucket, allowing it to pass through the sieve-like contraption. The purpose? To capture any impurities or froth, ensuring a pure and creamy result. The destination for this strained milk was a clean, waiting 1-gallon glass jar. Interestingly enough, these jars had a fascinating history. My mother would procure them from the lunch ladies at school, who typically used them to house delectable treats like pickles and vegetables. Oh, the anticipation of tasting those savory delights later on! But for now, my focus was on the task at hand—straining the milk, preserving its freshness, and preparing it for the refrigerator.