Word-of-the-Day Story!

Word: Kitsch / Words: 197

Source: merriam-webster.com/wor…

When I walk through secondhand shops, there are items that call out to me. They are bits and bobs, always mismatched with any other thing in my basket or, if I'm being honest, in my house. My eye is drawn to the hypothetical stories of the small ceramic bird with a chipped wing, the blue glassware with an odd amount cups, or the quilt with a memorial square for an infant I'll never know and some cigarette burns.

How many near misses did this quilt have from an exhausted rainbow mom just doing her best? Do other squares tell more stories of this brave family trying to recover? One square is a kitschy pink flamingo. “Maybe there's a story there,” I ponder.

This is my joy. Finding relics discarded by others. “One’s trash is another's treasure” feels somewhat hyperbolic, right? Regarding the quilt, maybe this was a personal triumph to try and let go a little bit. Maybe it was borderline ceremonial — or maybe it was just a quilt. Either way, I'm staring down at the lump where my feet are hidden under the quilt, cradling the memorial, and enjoying the warmth of my newfound treasure.