We drove past the “Carrie Furnace” sign on our way to the
Waterfront in Homestead, Pennsylvania. I
thought to my self, “Our youngest child is named Carrie.” We tell her we named her that, because
she is so good at carrying things. In
fact, for many years she and the neighbor girl would carry my groceries from
the car into the house; with six kids there were a lot of groceries to carry. Actually all six did their share of grocery
carrying. I don’t remember a time I had
to do it all by myself. Of course, they
were always in a hurry to attack the food and look for hidden treats like those
humungous muffins from Costco or Sam’s Club.
I miss those times. I miss my
kids. I miss my grandkids. I also miss being
a kid and playing with my
grandparents. 
Although my grandma Katie passed in 1987, I still celebrate
her life every year when her birthday rolls around. She was a fabulous cook, so typically we
prepare massive amounts of food using her recipes and gather together for a
meal. I have yet to master making apple
strudel, but stuffed cabbage, breaded chicken, potato salad and banana bread are
usually welcome additions to the menu. This party is a great excuse to get
together, and it serves to bequeath her memory, her recipes and her traditions
to the next generation.
Last year I wasn’t near my kids or their families, so my
sister had a new idea – she suggested we tour Carrie Furnace in Homestead to
celebrate Grandma’s birthday. Although it may sound unusual; it really
isn’t. My grandma operated a crane for
the Carnegie Steel Company at the Duquesne Works during World War II. Since the steel mills in Duquesne have long
since been discarded, we toured Carrie Furnace led by volunteers from the
Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area.
Our objective was to find out more about Grandma’s service in the mill.
We viewed the colossal dinosaur of the old furnace from many
angles and from within. Now cold and
dead, this place was once teaming with life, generated by work and sweat and intense
heat. Cranes were used throughout all
stages of the steel making process, so we never did figure out where it was that
grandma sat high overhead. I tried to
envision her with a cold, damp rag upon her crown as she hoisted each load of
ore and carried it to its destination.
It’s just as she often helped me carry my loads in life.
Which bring us back to Carrie. The furnaces were named for
women due to the temperamental nature of the fires burning within them. Gee, not so different than my Carrie, her
sisters, sister-in-laws or me. We have minds of our own
coupled with a passion burning within us to set the world on fire. We ignite our plans to alter the universe by doing
what my grandma taught us -- we serve one another.
We listen, we support, we lend a helping hand. We carry each others load, one grocery bag at
a time.
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