Tokens of affection

I have a tendency to hoard tiny objects. I've been that way for as long as I remember. Besides making dusting challenging it is a characteristic of mine I appreciate. Every corner of my house is inhabited by knickknacks in varied shapes and colors. Even minimalism and Marie Kondo hypes did not phase my love for collecting. Ultimately, when I hold any of my precious objects and ask myself: "does this spark joy?"—consistently, the answer is: "yes".

One could call them 'paraphernalia', I call them 'tokens of affection'. The dried flowers on the window seal remind me of an invigorating spring day; the sea shells by the entrance are mementos of a walk by the beach with a dear friend...

The first objects I ever collected were hotel miniature toiletries (true story). It all started when I was about four years old. I loved (and to be honest, still do) tiny things. There is something so endearing about miniatures. My dream was to live in a tiny house, with tiny pets and tiny tea cups. It comes as no surprise then that small-scale toiletry was right up my alley.

Growing up my father was often away for work. The separation was hard on both of us, so we came up with a system of little reminders of love to sustain our relationship. Every time he came back from a trip he presented me with the wonderful toiletries he collected along the way. I kept my treasures safely guarded in a floral pattern box under my bathroom sink.

Many of my most cherished childhood memories with my dad involve the toiletries he brought me. Scrubbing his arm tattoo with little soaps in vain attempts at removing them. Going through my treasure box categorizing the little bottles by scent or place of origin, dreaming of the day when I would be the one traveling and collecting tokens of affection around the world,

As I look around me now I realize my dream has come true.