Sometimes we define things that are old as useless junk, and sometimes we view those old things as priceless treasures—and two people might have very different assessments of the exact same item.
What do you cherish for its history that someone else might see as junk?
Awhile back, I bought a special issue of Life Magazine on “100 Women Who Changed the World.” There I read about a Japanese woman, Murasaki Shikibu, who wrote the world’s first novel in the year 1000 CE. I managed to obtain a used copy, two volumes in a beautiful boxed set. I’ve had it over a year and haven’t read it yet, but I love knowing I have this novel on my shelf.
I have a smallish red, ceramic HALL’s Fine Quality teapot that shows very clearly the ravages of time. I’ve actually mended the small insertable top and the cracks show. However, whenever I make a potful of tea for myself, I use it. It belonged to a friend of mine, “punny” Jane, with whom we seven women shared a home soon after the end of WWII since rent control was still in effect. Janey worked for the old airline Braniff and one afternoon, coming home on the bus from work, I heard that a plane in Iowa had crashed and there were no survivors. Janey was on that plane. Holding onto fond memories by keeping the teapot is my way of not relinquishing the good times we all had together.
How lovely that you have such a special memento of her.