Imbued with meaning

We were on family vacation. We had stopped at a store for something mundane, I don’t remember what. But we couldn’t make the stop without walking past the toys and I fell in love with a stuffed animal there. It was a dog with a bow tied around its neck. It had the softest, penny colored, curly fur. I asked my parents if I could get him and they said no. And then I said, but it could be my souvenir from our trip! My one and only souvenir! I won’t ask for anything else! My parents looked dubious and pointed out that this stuffed dog had nothing to do with anything we had seen on our trip. I said it didn’t matter, it would make me think of the memories all the same! Finally we negotiated a deal, the dog could be my souvenir if and only if I named it something to do with our trip. Deal.

It’s kind of funny because now that I think of it, as an adult I buy souvenirs in a similar way. I like to imbue something totally unrelated with meaning or memory like a charm. This sweater reminds me of eating pastries with my sister in Copenhagen. This ring reminds me to leave room for surprise and delight by seeking out new experiences even if it’s not clear what I’ll get out of it. 

Weaving my experiences (however abstractly) into the fabric of my daily things allows me to bring new dimensions to the otherwise mundane.