The sales staff at Leontine were as attentive as the gentleman who showed Holly and Paul the sterling silver rotary phone dialer. When the handkerchiefs arrived in their box, they were accompanied by a card listing the names of the women who made on my order.
In the summer of 2012, I carried both handkerchiefs with me to my father's funeral. During the service, I took one of them out of the handbag he bought for me when I got my first "real" job, and traced the monogram with my finger as if it were a rosary. This morning, I am pressing the handkerchiefs into service again to attend the funeral a woman who was a high school classmate of my sister and the daughter of a beloved co-worker. She will be buried at the same cemetery we laid my dad to rest. I do not want to get ready this morning. Once I put on my black dress, the same one I wore last summer, I know I will have to acknowledge reality. In the meantime, I am contemplating my handkerchiefs and hoping that they see more tears of happiness than tears of sadness in my lifetime.
Oh, this is a lovely post and they are beautiful! Eventually, I think these will be the "sacred" handkerchiefs you had with you on those days. I think funerals are so difficult and going to the first one after your dad will be especially hard.
ReplyDeleteAllow me to express sympathy for the two sad events you have had to attend. I can understand how a beautiful and sentimental object can help to restore a sense of balance and equanimity on such occasions.
ReplyDelete--Road to Parnassus
My deepest sympathy for your loss. These monogrammed handkerchiefs for sure have many memories for you. It has brought you joy and tears. The monogrammed handkerchiefs are lovely and very traditional gifts to your bridesmaids.
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ReplyDeleteOh they are so beautiful, I love what WMM said, they will be come sacred, a good friend of ours has just been given 7 months to live, life is so hard to comprehend at times.
Off topic, but my cellulite on my back legs disgusted even me two days ago.
Thank you all for your lovely comments.
ReplyDeleteTabitha - HA! Only two days ago? I so have you beat (in the contest no one wants to win).
Such an insightful post. I have a funeral suit that is getting too much wear lately... I have a coat that I wear with it and I am always surprised at the amount of mass cards I find in the pocket and that I feel obligated to leave in there- my own little, personal memorial to all I had known.
ReplyDeleteThese things do seen to go in cycles, don't they? Some years, I feel like I'm going to a wedding or baby shower every other week. Other years...not so much.
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