Naomi Gladish Smith

For some reason I stopped to inspect the two turtles and an undersized water buffalo on the glass tabletop.  They are jade or probably jadeite carvings, keepsakes my husband and I brought on one of our trips abroad.

I like recalling the various cultures we experienced and the fun of buying these things of different cultures in a marketplace or from some little shop.  Now that he is gone, I especially cherish the memories of those adventures together.

As I look at the largish turtles and the smallish water buffalo however, I realize I have no recollection of where or when we chose them.  Then it comes to me – we hadn’t bought them.  They were a gift my husband brought back from China on one of the rare trips he took without me. 

It makes me smile.  The little group of mismatched figures had been selected and brought home by a person I loved and who loved me.   Just as good as remembering an adventure with him - maybe even better.