What would you keep?
My dad bought this figurine from his family’s auction house, The Russell Exchange, in Kolkata when he was maybe 18 or 19. Growing up, he’d spend hours browsing the dusty tables overflowing with pocket watches, crystal glasses, cameras, dolls and other valuable and not-so-valuable collectibles. (It’s actually the oldest auction house in India and a film was made about it.) Why did this piece catch his eye? Why would a teenager even be interested in buying a decorative, highly breakable, completely impractical item with his pocket money rather than something more fun and useful.
Dad carried this piece with him from Kolkata to London, where he went to college; then to Lahore, where he got married; then to Dhaka, Jeddah, Chicago, NYC, NJ, South Carolina, Seattle, and elsewhere. Wherever we set up home, this figurine was placed in a central spot in the house—on the mantle piece or on the top shelf of a glass case. At some point, the figurine got beheaded—perhaps during one of our many moves or by an errant ball in the living room; no matter, the head was glued back on.
I’m packing up mom’s apartment in preparation for her move to our house, and carefully bubble wrapping this porcelain figurine. Even holding it in my hands, feeling its smooth texture and outline, makes me feel close to Dad. He held it and admired it so many times and it gave him so much joy. Soon it will find a new coveted spot, in my kitchen display cabinet. Every time I cook, I’ll sneak a glance, think of Dad, smile, and continue to wonder why this piece caught his eye.
I wish I had asked him.
Packing up my mom’s home and coming across objects that I’ve seen in drawers and cupboards for decades has me thinking about the objects that we keep, the ones we simply can not part with because they are infused with meaning and memories.
Of course, it has to do with the story behind the object—when we got it and why, what it means to us, what memories it brings back. The item most likely doesn’t have any monetary value, but the memories and emotions attached to it are priceless.
I’ve been thinking about what holds such magic for me; what would I want my kids to hold on to and treasure. It’s hard to choose, especially as I have boxes full of memories, but one thing comes immediately to mind.
This duck.
When Arif was courting me at Columbia and not making much progress, he decided he’d carve a duck for me. Perhaps he thought the painstaking precision and patience it took to create something from a block of wood and paint it meticulously would show his dedication and win my heart. For bonus points, he presented it to my parents. For the past 35+ years this duck has occupied a prominent position in our homes. Now it sits atop Saanya’s classic book collection on a cabinet in her apartment. I’m pretty sure she’ll tell her kids about the romantic provenance of this duck.
What’s an object that you treasure and that carries meaning for you. What memories does it bring back and what stories does it reveal? I’d love to hear, if you’d like to share.
Perhaps this Valentine’s Day, ask a loved one to share a story of something they hold dear. Listening, and sharing stories, is one of the most precious ways we can express love … and it neither wilts nor melts.
Sharing this previous post of how Arif and I met. Happy Valentine’s Day, friends.
I walked into the suite, he turned around and saw me, and poured the whole bottle of red pepper in his curry!
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A few past newsletters:
A Letter of Gratitude, for my Husband’s Surgeon
Wisdoms Inspired in Nature: My New Book!
Life Lessons for my Son, that I Learned this Week