Memories and Sentimental Value.....

How often have you taken the time to really look at the possessions you have sitting around…the knick-knacks…all those little things that mean something to you. What do they mean to you and why do you keep them. Some items stay with us for a short time, others for our entire lives. The history of each is as unique as the item itself and it takes on a personality of its own. Some are bittersweet memories, some are happy and bring an instant smile to your face, while others may invoke a chain reaction of many memories of many things. It’s almost guaranteed that none of them carry sad memories because no one likes to remember those.

The little guy above is unique in a couple ways. There is not another one of him in the entire world and it was my daughter who lovingly made him. Named Bubbha (a southern version of Buddha), I love him to pieces. Get a load of the toes! At the time of his creation, my teenaged daughter was taking art in high school and an art project was to make something that could ultimately be a gift for someone. She knew how much I adored the little Buddha statues with their smiling faces and big bellies and attempted to make me one. The result turned out to be something that looked primitive enough to have been excavated out of an African cave. She made many mistakes, but the mistakes seemed to “work” for the piece. Her teacher displayed it in the showcase and afterward asked if he could buy it from her because there was just something about it that really “spoke” to him. I’m glad she refused and gave it to me instead.

So I know the whole history of Bubbha and I’m hoping that he’ll be in the family for many years. He’s 24 years old now. He sits safely on my nightstand and every time I look at him I have to smile…he just has that effect on you. I think part of it is the toes. He was made by someone whom I love and who loves me. With the addition of each piece of clay, I was thought of and it was hoped that I would appreciate the effort being put forth. Oh I did. I still do so very much.