So I returned to the store today. And, of course, the little china dish was gone. I went down each aisle searching for the little dish with delicate flowers painted on it. Then, I went down each aisle again looking carefully from the top shelf to the bottom and behind larger objects, thinking I may have missed it the first time. And yes, I went down each aisle one more time thinking that someone might have picked it up and placed it on another shelf. But it was gone. My heart sank.
I continued to look around the store hoping to find another small treasure that would remind me of second-hand store shopping I used to do with my mom. I would regret for some time not purchasing that little china dish. But I knew another day would come when I would find a treasure that my mom and I would have both loved.
And then, I saw it. There on the top shelf was a little vintage ring box. I picked it up and turned it around to see the pretty pattern around the sides. I looked at the lid covered in dainty blue flowers. I unlatched it and lifted the lid. Oh, yes, this was a piece I would take home. I needed it.
I know there will be many trips to second-hand stores in the future. It's just something I do that reminds me of the trips I took with my mom. We would bring home our treasures, carefully wrapped and bagged. We would take our small treasures out, one at a time, and admire them. We would find a special place for them in our home. Small treasures - today it was a vintage ring box that was now mine. I love it.
