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THE THINGS WE BRING HOME: Touchstones That Help Us Remember
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Why ordinary objects become our favorite memories
When I unpacked my beach basket after coming home this week, I found the usual things.
A towel.
Sunscreen.
A paperback with a little sand tucked between the pages.
And then there were the things I hadn't really packed at all.
A handful of shells.
A gull feather.
A few smooth white pebbles that somehow insisted on coming home with me.
None of them were expensive. None of them were necessary.
But I couldn't imagine leaving them behind.
What Makes An Object Worth Keeping?
I've started to think the best things we bring home aren't souvenirs.
They're touchstones.
The shell remembers an early morning walk before the beach filled with umbrellas.
The feather remembers a flock of gulls circling overhead.
Even the sand that found its way into every bag feels less like a mess and more like proof that I was there.
A touchstone doesn't have to be beautiful. It's there to help you remember.
We Collect More Than We Realize
The beach isn't the only place we gather these little reminders.
Sometimes it's the first tomato from the garden.
A smooth stone picked up on a walk with your pup.
A recipe card in your grandmother's handwriting.
The ribbon from a favorite gift.
A pressed leaf tucked inside a book.
They're ordinary objects. Until they're not.
Years later, we find them again and instantly we're back in that kitchen, that garden, that season, that conversation.
That's the quiet magic of a touchstone.
A Life Is Remembered in Small Things (Touchstones)
For a long time, I thought I was simply sentimental. Now I think I was collecting evidence.
Evidence of beautiful days.
Evidence of people I loved.
Evidence that ordinary life is full of moments worth keeping if we only notice them.
That's become one of the guiding ideas behind everything I create, from the stories I share here in the Journal to each issue of TOUCHSTONES.
The little things aren't distractions from life.
They are life.
Continue Noticing
If this idea feels familiar, I think you'll enjoy TOUCHSTONES, my seasonal digital publication about everyday magic, beautiful homes, and the little things worth remembering.
And if you're curious what I've been gathering lately, you'll find more stories waiting for you here in the Everyday Magic Journal.
Because the story isn't really about shells.
It's about learning to recognize the ordinary moments that become extraordinary simply because we chose to keep them.
Continue Reading
Browse summer baskets
The conversation continues.
Every Tuesday and Friday, I write a letter to women who still notice.
We talk about beautiful things, beautiful stories, and the little moments worth remembering.
I'd love to have you there.
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