December 16, 2022

Daily Diary, Day 836: My Favorite Thing #10 Bric-a-brac

Bric-a-brac: Definition: “miscellaneous small articles collected for their antiquarian, sentimental, decorative, or other interest”

One of the things I have discovered as I age is that my perception of myself begins to shift. For example, if you had asked me in my youth if I was the sort of person who collects and holds on to objects, I would have said no, with the exception of books. I did have a collection of glass ornaments as a child, and have no idea what became of them. Besides a few stuffed animals and books, there are only a couple of things from my childhood that I have carried into adulthood.

That pattern continued through my 20’s to 30s, in part because we moved so frequently during those years and lived in fairly small places. Books were always an exception for me. I did hold on to some of my early writing and my daughter’s artwork, but even those things have been relegated to the attic.

In retirement, I systematically got rid of all the stuff from doing my doctorate (old research papers, computer tapes, index cards, etc,) from my teaching years I got rid of old lecture notes and textbooks, and in the past 5 years I’ve gotten rid of most of my books, both fiction and non-fiction, only keeping those books I use for research for my historical mysteries. This then created space for my husband, who is not ready to let go of print books, more space.)

But, when I look around at my house, which we have lived in for over 30 years, I can see that I am, in fact, someone who does collect things, in this case what you could call bric-a-brac, most of it is for sentimental reasons.

While these things do make daily dusting more difficult, they are definitely one of my favorite things, bringing me pleasure multiple times of day when I notice them (in fact, they make dusting more interesting.)

So, I’ve tried to give you some representative examples.

The first, the little dog, is the very first animal I was given as a baby. It has a little music box in it that I’ve been told played “How Much is that Doggie in the Window.” Next to it is the small teddy bear my mother had with her in the hospital when she died, over 30 years ago.

Next, is a fungus I found on a tree during some hike, when I was 7, and next to this is a picture my daughter drew when she was also 7. The carving was made out of the remains of a tree felled in an avalanche and was given to me and my husband as a wedding present (it may be the only present we still have.) The photo is of two of my favorite Christmas gifts from my daughter, (the porcupine doubles as a heating pad.)

Then comes two things that remind me of my years teaching at a community college. The bird is from the friend I shared my office with for years, and the trio of boxes were made by a colleague whose office was across the hall. He made them as a gift upon my retirement and they are great for holding keys and short connector cables, etc.

Finally, these last three pictures are objects I inherited from a friend (the geese, the bowl, and the horse). She was probably the closest friend I ever had or will ever have, and she died suddenly over 15 years ago. She was a person who really kept hold of stuff, and so most of my plates, casserole dishes, and other miscellaneous kitchenware came from her. But I also tried to take smaller items that I have placed throughout my house that remind me of her daily, with sadness and gratitude for the good memories.

And I guess that is why I like keeping my bric-a-brac, because of the valuable memories they invoke.

Do you have a favorite small object you keep for sentimental reasons?