Stories Collected While Living in France

French la Vie

Bread and Butter Prayer

Bread and butter

 

Winter morning light,

poured in through the kitchen window

illuminating the breakfast table.

Like a prayer, unspoken but heard.

 

Breakfast bread and butter

The objects took on meaning,

Silently singing straight to my soul.

Your bread and butter is here, right here.

No need to search further.

Nourishing, wholesome, peaceful, family, obtainable…

Simple grace.

 

Bread

 

Though my thoughts were my own,

My husband without knowing the significance of the moment,

broke the bread.

Holy communion.

The light flooded the space in between.

 

 

Buttering the bread

 

Simple grace.

 

 

Still life

I love when something so simple, 

without fanfare, or knowledge,

softly comes with a deeper meaning, than what is at hand.

It is in these moments that healing comes, knowing comes,

love is evident, 

beautiful life.

Bread and butter.

 

 

Butter knife

 

I grabbed my camera, 

captured the moment.

French Husband looked around to see what was I photographing. 

A friend of ours was with us asked, "What does she see?"

French Husband, shrugged, buttered his bread, looked at me then smiled.

Did he know?

Butter and bread

Morning prayer.

What is your bread and butter today?

 

Comments

29 responses to “Bread and Butter Prayer”

  1. Jeanne

    My bread and butter is always my beautiful family and friends and our bounty of blessings and my faith.
    Love you and I love all you share.
    Jeanne

    Reply
  2. Celeste Coelho

    Flight delays that gave us another 24 hours together! Lemonade.

    Reply
  3. Shelley Noble

    But that’s just it, Corey. You are the one who sees. You are the one who’s soul is on the tip of her Tongue in Cheek ready to get the sacred messages readily around us in daily life. You are the one who sees a morning table as if it were a devout still life of significance.
    And that is part of why I am devoted to your eye and heart.
    (Yann knows by now what his wife sees)

    Reply
  4. Bev S.

    Today the verse that keeps coming to my mind is Lamentations 3:23: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning, great is Thy faithfulness. It has kept me going these past several days.

    Reply
  5. Amylia Grace

    Coco, One of my favorite posts of yours of all time–and I think I’ve read them all! We are kindred souls, and this simple post brought tears to my eyes in its beauty and simplicity and grace.
    Just lovely, these little moments of hidden meaning and joy…being open to them and willing to see is part of the gift.
    Bless you, each and every!

    Reply
  6. An Enchanted Cottage

    Corey, this post was so beautiful in its simplicity and its message. Your soul was in your eyes that morning to be able to see and feel what you did. Thank you so much for sharing. I loved the breaking of the bread. And yes, I think French Hubby read your mind 🙂
    Donna

    Reply
  7. Chris Wittmann

    It takes an artist to see the beauty in simple things

    Reply
  8. Kathie B

    My “bread and butter” tonight will be boiled potatoes and butter 😉
    Just looking at that baguette — doubtless from “the good bakery” in town, right? — as well as wonderful French beurre makes me miss France. And I bet it hasn’t been snowing there, either! (This afternoon poor old Farmboy Husband had to shovel out all the hard, heavy, salty snow that the municipal plows shove into the mouth of each driveway).

    Reply
  9. tut-tut

    an argument deflected

    Reply
  10. martina

    I had nightmares most of the night. When I opened my eyes this morning the first thing I saw was very happy puppy, wagging her tail. A sign that life is good, full of love and far outweighs bad dreams.

    Reply
  11. Frank Purrkins

    Bread and I had to break up. Butter may not be around for much longer either.

    Reply
  12. Judy

    Oh my God, this is why I love your blog. Your words just touch my soul~so simple and so beautiful. The word “blog” itself to me is not a pretty word, but the way that you write and express your thoughts–Pure Simple Beauty. Thank you.

    Reply
  13. Debra

    My husband’s strength and conviction to leave our home each day and work so hard to support us, especially through this terrible downturn. Top the bread with the butter of having all my children at home while I watch them play a simple card game and hear their laughter. All so sweet topped off with a good friend’s blog who reminds me to be grateful for my daily bread & butter. xoxo

    Reply
  14. Cheryl ~ Casual Cottage Chic

    Corey, How is Annie? She wasn’t at your Christmas table so I was wondering if she is with her family during the holidays?

    Reply
  15. Cheryl ~ Casual Cottage Chic

    When Corey writes like this I keep hoping she will capture her words and thoughts in a book someday!

    Reply
  16. Laurie SF

    You!

    Reply
  17. Marilyn

    How lovely to be able to notice the small things like a bread and butter prayer. Beautiful! Love cup in the last photo. I need to go find my bread and butter and notice more closely.

    Reply
  18. Chico Sue

    The bread and butter of my morning today was the smile and giggle and clear eyed view of my 5 month old grandson.

    Reply
  19. Monika

    It’s funny; yesterday I had my own bread and butter prayer.
    We don’t usually have bread and butter for breakfast, but yesterday we did. We drove to my husband’s hometown on the 24th, to take part in the Reveillon at his sister’s home, with the rest of his family and her in-laws. We drove home, 500 kms, on the 25th, and as we departed, Pierre’s mother tucked 4 frozen baguettes in with our baggage.
    This past spring, Pascal le Boulanger set up shop in my husband’s little ski village, north of Quebec City. Pascal is a baker from Lyon, and has all his flour shipped from France. Homesick as we are for France and Suisse Romande (having returned a year ago, after having lived there for 5), to us it is food for the soul. There is no bread as good in Ottawa, and I am sure, no other bread as good in Quebec City. Maybe in-between, in Montreal, there is a baker as good. Even when we lived in Geneva, and shopped in Ferney-Voltaire, there was no pain au levain this good; on Saturdays, our ritual, after the weekly market in Ferney, was to drive to Divonne for pain au levain from the baker Lucien. Pascal’s bread is in the same league as Lucien’s.
    So, breakfast was a meditation and prayer about passion, the art of living, of taking something as simple as a wild yeast floating in the air, and flour and water and turning it into an amazing bread. Alas, no Beurre d’Isigny AOC to accompany it, but a nice local unsalted cultured butter instead.
    Simple gifts.

    Reply
  20. Linda

    I’m the same-sunlight on something draws my attention every time.

    Reply
  21. France Forever 24/7

    My daily bread and butter is the love of my (French) husband, and my daughter and her family are the creme de la creme.

    Reply
  22. TEXAS FRANCOPHILE

    Loved your post. Franco

    Reply
  23. TEXAS FRANCOPHILE

    My bread and butter is my beloved husband and our many devoted friends. I call myself an orphan when I’m feeling sorry for myself as I have no siblings or children. Lost my parents in 2002 and 2009. But then I open my eyes and realize my family is huge. Thank you for putting it into words and jolting our senses to notice and the obvious. Franco

    Reply
  24. La Contessa

    I agree you write so simply……….I was just thinking when did you change your format to just a few sentences?Its been awhile now……….I LOVE IT!Your posts always put a smile on my face or make me take pause for a moment.AS far as my bread and butter…….that is food for thought!

    Reply
  25. Judy

    I hope so too!

    Reply
  26. peggy braswell

    My bread and butter is my graditude journal- I write in each morning! There are so many things to be grateful for + Thank you for the reminder. xxpeggybraswelldesign.com

    Reply
  27. Marie-Noëlle

    LOVE the butter praying,
    LOVE the grace spreading,
    …
    LOVE the shoulder shrugging !!!
    Hope your Christmas was delightful !!!

    Reply
  28. jeanneillenye@sbcglobal.net

    This is SO beautiful…proves the best things in life are simple and free…if only we learn to “see” with our hearts and thus feed our souls.

    Reply
  29. Francesca

    This is beautiful. Thanks so much for adding it to Francesca’s Festa of Favourites link up 🙂

    Reply

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