The Little Glories
Although I preach detachment and how life would be easier if we all attained a certain degree of detachment, I still find myself holding on to certain items. One of the most recent items I discovered was a bracelet that was gifted to me by a friend over a decade ago. I loved the bracelet so much and didn't want to let go of it even when it became too tight on my wrist.
I just turned seven and was having what seemed like the worst birthday of my life. None of my family members remembered that it was my birthday and I wasn't ready to tell them either. My childhood best friend who was born in the same month with me and her cousin(Andy) were the only people who remembered. We stayed in the parlour, chatting and playing games just like every other day.
Shadows of the evening started unfolding and I had already made up my mind that that was the worst day of my life. As my friends were about to depart, Andy dipped his hands in his pocket and brought out one of the most beautiful things my young eyes had ever seen. "Happy birthday wongi" he said. I was so happy.
Andy made my day with this gesture. I promised myself to wear the bracelet everyday and cherish it till whenever. Over the years, my wrist grew bigger and the once floppy bracelet became extremely tight. Still, I didn't want to let go of it. Rather, I put it in a little box and placed it in my wardrobe. Weeks turned to months, months turned to years and with time, I totally forgot about the bracelet.
Sometime last year, I got back in touch with Andy and as we were reminiscing about our childhood memories, he reminded me of that particular birthday and how happy I was when I saw the bracelet. I knew I still had the bracelet so I started rummaging.
After days of searching,I found it, took a few pictures of it and sent them to him. He couldn't believe that I still had the bracelet. Since I couldn't wear it anymore, I just placed it on my reading table. It soon became a centre of attraction. So many colours!.
One day, a younger friend of mine was brought to the house. I was to keep her company till her mom returned from the market. She found her way into my room and the bracelet was the first thing she picked up. I think we all know how this usually ends..
She wouldn't let me rest until I said she could keep the bracelet. I tried to explain to her that the bracelet was very old and the colours had started to fade but she didn't listen to a word I said. Soon enough, I gave in and allowed her to keep it. The joy on her face matched the joy I felt when I got the bracelet initially. I was happy that I could at least make another person happy. She granted me one last wish; a befitting photoshoot for the bracelet before she took it away.
I do not know if my little friend would cherish the bracelet as much as I did but I'm certain that it would keep her happy till she gets a replacement, maybe.
It was really hard to part ways with that bracelet. I felt like I was giving out a very vital part of my childhood but I asked myself, what would a minimalist do? "Let go". I am not using it anymore so why not give it out and create space for more to come in? And at the same time make a person happy? This was the base of my decision. Detachment is a good trait afterall.
All images used belong to me except stated otherwise.
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What a nice bracelet, Wongi. I like the colors. I laughed when I read, " we all know how this ends" 😄 Sometimes the joy of giving comes to outweigh the feelings of parting with something. I loved the question you asked yourself at the end. I'm going to implement it in my case 💟
I hope the question works for you too.😊
Thank you so much for stopping by
!luv
The colours on the bracelet are unique and they didn't fade at all
Andy was such a good friend to have remembered and gifted you on your birthday at a tender age, it was so lovely of him
I smiled where you said the bracelet could no longer fit in hands but you kept it safe, this shows how much you value your friendship
And you last sentences got much lessons to learn from it, most at times we keep things that we are no longer using which will be of help to others
A lot of people should learn from this
I happy you finally gave it out to someone who could use it and I believe she will value it as much as you do
It was probably because of how often I used to wear it but there were some visible scratches when I gave it out.😄
Yes. He was and still is a really nice friend 😇
Thank you so much for stopping by and leaving a comment
!luv
Whether she would cherish it as much as you did or not, making someone else happy in my opinion was absolutely worth it.
Right. This is very true. The happiness written all over her face was totally worth it.
!luv
Who knows,
Maybe when your little friend is grown, she would pass it on to another person. Generational bracelet. Lol😄
That bracelet is so beautiful and I would be hurt too giving it out. Sometimes, we have some items that has stayed long with us and giving it away seems hard but it's good when we do that. That is a life of a minimalist.
Exactly. It was hard to let go but in the end, the bracelet was a source of joy to another person.
!luv
What a beautiful post, and a gorgeous bracelet too.
Touching story and you delivered your point perfectly.
This was a grat way of looking at it, and you are letting go and detachment are very important for us to grow:)))
Thank you very much for stopping by.😇
I'm glad I learnt this lesson early in life.
Time to nudge that diving guy, and squeeze a post out of him!
👍 Thanks mate! I appreciate this. It's really tight at the moment, but hopefully, next week when he's on a break 🤗
Looking forward to that!
🤞🙏
It's sweet that such a cherished item gets to find a new home with a little one who sees all the magic in it that you do! Although the memory may not have a physical representation in your life anymore, all that love is still there to. That's awesome all around 💚
I agree with you on this. The memories, the joy and the happiness still remain with me even if the bracelet isn't.
!luv😇
What a beautiful bracelet, I understand the attachment because of what it meant to you at the time. But that's also what it's about, to detach ourselves not only from material things, but also from emotions that can't stagnate, even if they are beautiful, we have to give way to new ones.. 😊
That is right. Giving way to new emotions is a smart thing to do.
Thank you so much for stopping by👼