My Much-Needed Friends’ Pantries

After writing a post on my childhood friends this past Saturday, a more up-to-date friendship saga hit me on Sunday. I have heard somewhere that we have friends for a season. In other words, friends in our childhood are not necessarily friends in high school or later life. Some close friendships are established in our older years. I have found a circle of friends who have amazing—pantries. Yes, pantries. And let me tell you, I make full use of them from time to time.

Jennifer, two doors down, has 4 dogs we feed sometimes when they go out of town, so I know the secret to entering her house without a key. She’s a young mom with three kids needing to go in all different directions. Her pantry is full of prepared foods, snacking stuff, and of course, the dog food. I borrow Campbell’s soup from her. Tracy and Rosalyn are .8 of a mile and one mile from us respectively. (I know this because I have calculated my walking in the neighborhood). I can borrow just about anything from these two who keep well-stocked pantries. However, Rosalyn only uses the light sour cream. Layne, right next door to me, is my 4th go-to pantry. I’ve never actually seen her pantry, but she has been able to supply my needs at different times.

I emailed our couples’ Bible Study group this last week in response to another email. Linda said she would make chili, if someone volunteered the cornbread. To me, that’s a no-brainer. I can whip up cornbread in less than 5 minutes. With 25 minutes to bake, it’s an easy dish to contribute. I had my day all planned out. We had to leave the house at 5:00 p.m.; therefore, I would start the cornbread at 4:00. That way it would be toasty warm, fresh out of the oven for the group.

At 4:00 sharp, I rolled off the sofa and headed to the kitchen. I put the cornmeal in the mixing bowl and reached for the almost empty canister of flour. No problem. Simple phone call would take care of the matter. However, the beautiful day must have been calling my friends—no one answered my pleas. I left messages, but I really needed the flour now. My last call was to Cindy—2 miles away. She was home and could meet my immediate call.

As I drove home, Rosalyn called me back. “I’m home. You still need the flour?” I thanked her, but told her I had found some. When I reached my home, I realized one batch of cornbread would not feed 14 people. So I called Rosalyn.

After adding Rosalyn’s cup of flour, I was relieved to find I had 2 eggs in the refrigerator, exactly what I needed. But I only had ¼ cup of oil. By now, it was 4:20. I decided to add melted butter for my ½ cup requirement. The cornbread came out of the oven at 5:05, and we were on our way.

You may not have the need of your friends’ pantries as I do, but we all need friends. Think of a time when a friend came to your rescue. Write that down, and then enjoy the memory.