Photo a Day: Catchup

I had the best of intentions of keeping up with daily Photo a Day posts this month. But obviously, that didn't happen. I got in a few, then I fell completely off the bandwagon. But I'm trying to climb back on with a single photo that covers a multitude of missed topics.

These items are some sewing supplies that I inherited from my grandmother, who passed away a few months ago. We shared a love for sewing, although she was more of a knitter than a seamstress. The wood surface is a lovely Ethan Allen sewing table that she passed down to me decades ago, when I was in college. But the pincushion and button jar are more recent acquisitions.

When I look at these items, I am reminded of my grandmother. She was a SWEET (day 20), elegant, feisty lady with a gentle grace and a sharp wit. She was overflowing with LOVE (day 10) and KINDNESS (day 11) for others. When I look at this old-fashioned RED (day 13) pincushion, it reminds me of her huge HEART (day 14). It may be SOMETHING NEW (day 16) in my home, it is also SOMETHING OLD (day 19) that is full of wonderful family memories. It is a FAVORITE PHOTO (day 17), not because it is perfectly composed or lit or because the subject is especially beautiful, but because of all the happy thoughts it evokes in my mind. It is, indeed, A VIEW I LOVE (day 18). And above all else, THIS MADE ME SMILE (day 21).

Photo A Day: Simplicity

I was digging through my purse for change last night and I came across this.

It’s a little glass heart that my son bought me while he was on a homeschool field trip with my husband. I don’t recall where exactly it came from – possibly the Museum of Science, or the Aquarium, maybe even Plimouth Plantation – but I do remember the look on his face when he presented it to me. It had been carefully wrapped up in paper and taped closed, and he was holding it like it was a precious gem. And when I unwrapped it, he grinned from ear to ear and announced, “It’s a heart, because I love you, Mom!” and gave me a big hug.

What better present could a mom ask for than that? It’s a tiny little token, nothing expensive or unusual. It probably cost less than a dollar, and there was probably a basket full of dozens of them. But it is special because it is so simple. It is a reminder that I have a heart, his heart, in my hands. It is my responsibility to guide that heart to be open and loving and generous and kind. And it is a reminder that my words and my actions can break that heart all too easily. But they can also build up that heart and give it character and strength. That tiny glass heart is powerful in its simplicity.

Simplicity.