I made the hard decision to throw out the roses from my dad's memorial service. I have two vases that the flowers were in, and those are useful (and used). My friend, who is helping, took a few petals and saved those in a shadow box with a butterfly picture because she thought I should have kept them.
I found a little decorative plate my dad gave me, with a bird on it. For some reason I turned it over. And there was a note on the back. Obviously it's always been there and maybe I read it before, but it surprised me to see my dad's handwriting. There is nothing overtly affectionate in the note, which says: "Made by Bavano of Cheshire. Brumm enameled copper. Originally made about 30 years ago in Cheshire. Hand signed by the artist." It's the thought behind it, that not only did he buy me this pretty little bird plate, but he took the time to write down its history. That's how my dad showed affection, he didn't go around hugging and kissing people or leaving mushy notes.
Do I need this plate? It is not useful. It is clutter. It is a dust catcher. But it's cute. And it has a note from my dad on the back.
The plate stays.
And since I had the note, I looked up the company. I think it's Bovano. There is nothing like this plate on their website but it seems to be a similar process.
