Sunday, March 22, 2009

~ MY DAUGHTER'S GIFT~

This is my little refound treasure. My daughters gift.


I went Thrift shopping..or rather, second hand store shopping last week...to a store I have visited every Sunday for ages. Some weeks ago...up on a shelf that was nearly too high for me to reach...I saw a little napkin holder...and stopped...as it was exactly like one I used to own. I thought, "wow..that looks like the one Sandy gave me when she was little. Hmmm...what did I do with mine?" and walked on. Sandy is my oldest daughter. The next week on my walk through the store...I spied it once again high on the shelf among many other items..smiled to my self and walked on. Another week went by and again...on my walk through the store I again saw the little napkin holder and this time, I stood on tippy toe and reached for for it. I was able to wiggle it to where I could grasp it and brought it down and looked at it. I turned it over..and suddenly noticed a crack running the length of it...
My oldest daughter was just about 13 when she gave me a set of napkin holder and recipe box that matched. I had both pieces for years and at one time the napkin holder broke in half. I glued it together and used it on through the years. For some reason...I don't remember why, but I wrote my name on the bottom of it. Then...I noticed it. My name!

Faded, written in red ink..THIS WAS MY napkin holder! Then I realized that we had probably sold it at a garage sale...a long time ago. I hugged it to me and nearly cried. How could I have let it get sold at a garage sale?! It was a gift from my little daughter! I had looked for it a couple of times and wondered what had happened to it. I still have the matching recipe box and it is still stuffed with recipes. My little napkin holder is home where it belongs and looking at it I have to wonder what journey it has been on. My daughter, who is now turning 50 this April 5th will love this story. She is going to laugh that I bought it back for $4.00when it was probably sold for a quarter...but I would have paid ...a lot to get it back!
It's the little things sometimes..isn't it?
Love,
Mona

P.S. Joanne, from MY LITTLE COTTAGE IN THE MAKING was with me that day!! Good grief how could I have forgotten! I just remembered I was not alone but thought it had been Howard that was with me as he usually is. THANK HEAVENS it was you Joanne.
Joanne and I met for the very first time that very day, and had gone shopping. She drove clear up from Orange County to meet me and I didn't write about it but I should have at least made reference to it. She did an entire post on it. I love letting others with more experience in posting, handle some things and I knew she would do it justice. She had her little camera out constantly and I didn't take one picture. Taking pictures is something I am TRYING to get used to doing.
She did a great job writing on our visit! My head has been somewhere else lately. Sweet Joanne, please forgive me. I made comment on your blog, but I should have mentioned it here. I am learning about visits..referring to things etc.
AND FOLKS....Joanne Kennedy is one of the sweetest, kindest ever..and..LOL she listens! I blabbed on to her..and on.. (hanging head here!) How I loved meeting you, Joanne!!

15 comments:

  1. Well I was wondering when you were going to write about this. I still can't get over when you first found this. That little napkin holder was just waiting to come back home to you.

    I'm so happy you found it and it's a day I will never forget. I mean really...whats the odds? One in a million maybe and here it happened to you.

    Plus since I was with you I can verify your story is 100% TRUE!

    Big hugs to you my friend.
    Joanne

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  2. Talk about a small world thingy ...how excited you must have been Mona to find this again...see it was screaming your name and thats why you kept going back to it...Girl with odds like these you need to make a tip to Vegas again...and if I had the spare change I would go with you girl..oh what fun we could have there together..I loved Vegas last time I went...Great post Mona...and I'm am sure your Sandy will get a kick out of this...My Barbra will be 50 in Dec...59 must have been a good year for both of us...hugs and smiles dear friend...Gl♥ria

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  3. I love this story!!!

    Over the weekend, I just read a similar story in Victoria magazine. It was in the Reader to Reader section. Apparently, the writer owned a used book store. One day a woman entered the shop and asked where the fairy tales section was. The little old lady spent hours looking thru the old books when suddenly she approached the counter with tears in her eyes. Clutched in her hands was her very own copy of a fairy tale book confiscated by the Nazis when her family was rounded up to either live in a ghetto or concentration camp. The bookstore clerk/owner was incredulous at first, but the woman produced her driver's license showing the same signature as that young girl scrawled in the book so many decades before. Needless to say the clerk/owner was delighted to reunite this woman with a momento from her stolen childhood!

    You too have a beautiful story to share!!! It doesn't matter that your story doesn't involve Million Man Marches or Nazi Concentration Camps, it is Mona's story and that makes it signficant. We are all signifcant in God's eyes!!!

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  4. Well, how fun is that! What goes around comes around or something like that... the napkin holder just knew you wanted him back..... loved this story, Mona....

    Di
    The Blue Ridge Gal

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  5. How sweet that you found your napkin holder again! Just goes to show that it should really stay in your home and not someone elses!

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  6. OH MY GOSH! Joanne...it was YOU that was with me that day. I go there with Howard...and thought he had been the one with me. I just remembered that someone was with me!
    THANK GOD you were the one!! I am always dreading someone calling me a liar when I relate things that have happened to me now. And..it was you! We, you and I, have only met one time...and (grin) became lifetime friends I think, and YOU were right there and know it happened. Thank you so much for speaking up!! Thank you!!!

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  7. Mona - there you are! You left a comment on my blog but not a link to your blog and I had to hunt you down. LOL

    What a lovely story - "Faithful Napkin Holder Follows Owner Home." Brings a tear to my eye.

    All kidding aside, I loved the story. I'm so glad you finally took it off the shelf to examine it!

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  8. Oh what a sweet story. Can you believe that!!!

    I put one rooster on my kitchen table and the other on the hutch. John has not been home yet to see them and I am wondering what he will think. heehee!

    I'm at work on my lunch break and thought I would visit around.

    Love ya lady!!

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  9. Wow! I got goosebumps as I read your story. It truly is a small world. I do have a fear when I give to Goodwill, that I will buy back what I have given away.

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  10. Haven´t seen one of those for ages. Last time I saw one was when grandma still lived in her house and thats over twenty years ago :-)

    Fantastic that You found your old one that way :-)
    Christer.

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  11. What a wonderful and sweet story! I often wonder what happened to things I've gotten rid of because I didn't think they had value at the time. What are the chances that you would have found that cute napkin holder!

    How cool that you got to meet a fellow blogger! I'm doing just that tomorrow. Wonder if I'll remember to take MY camera...That's something I'm still learning to do, too.
    Patricia :o)

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  12. What a wonderful story..sold and then found! I enjoyed it so much. Thanks for the comment on my blog! :)

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  13. Mona, what a wonderful event, finding a piece of your past life! I am sure you will enjoy it more now that it is back in your home.

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  14. How amazing that you stumbled upon your own napkin holder in a second hand store. We've sold so much of our stuff at garage sales over the years, I would be shocked if I found one of our items also!

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  15. That is so amazing that you found it again! It was meant to be :) It's really cute! I hold on to things usually for their memory and less for their function lol

    All the best,
    Allison

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