✨ Passing It Down: Communal Knowledge in a Google World

A reflection on tradition, togetherness, and the sacred beauty of learning hand to hand.

There’s something sacred about learning with your hands.
Not just reading a recipe, but standing beside someone who’s made it a hundred times.
Listening. Watching. Stirring the pot together.

Last year was my first Thanksgiving hosting dinner.

We had just bought our house, and one of the biggest joys of that season was finally opening our door to others. Setting a table. Saying, “Come in, you’re welcome here.”

Everyone was invited.

And when it came time to figure out how to cook the turkey, I knew I could have Googled it.
Typed a few words. Scanned some stars. Followed the directions.

But that’s not how I roll.

I believe in the kind of knowledge that’s passed down, not just written down.
The kind that lives in stories and voices, not just screens.

So I reached out to one of my mom’s friends (one of the best cooks I know) and asked her to teach me.
We did a trial run at Friendsgiving. She guided me through how she has perfected her turkey over the years. I asked a million questions. We laughed. I made notes.

And the turkey? It turned out so well.

But even more than the food, it was the feeling of being trusted, taught, and included.

More than that, it felt like I had stepped into something older than me:
a tradition, a rhythm, a gift passed hand to hand.

🌿 Why This Matters

In many Native American communities, wisdom is passed orally, through story, memory, and relationship.
The history isn’t kept in textbooks. It’s kept in people.
Elders are seen as living libraries, and learning is rooted in connection.

That’s what I want for my own life and home.

Not just to have community, but to live community.
To be someone who asks, listens, and keeps the circle going.

✨ A Gentle Invitation

If there’s something you’ve been wanting to learn—cooking, gardening, sewing, repairing—try asking someone in your circle who carries that knowledge.

Let it be less about perfection and more about connection.

Sit together. Listen closely. Take notes if you need.
And then one day, pass it on.

Because even in a Google world, there’s still something sacred about looking up to someone, instead of just looking things up.

🌿 In the rain, we root. In the wild, we grow.