My initial thought was that I couldn't single out any treasure for fear of missing the most important ones. This must be how the Oscar winners feel when they step on stage and need to thank everyone. So keeping in mind that I have loads of true treasures and that my husband David has been a pretty good find (Do you hear me Honey?) I do have one item that comes to mind beyond the major finds.
But first, the backdrop . . .
I enjoyed reading as a young person but I do confess that I didn't read many of the classics. I liked the idea of reading them but usually couldn't get involved enough to read most of them through to the end. Since I liked the idea of classics it was fun to buy them at used bookstores and place them on my bookshelf. I either intended to read them or thought they made nifty furniture.
Such was the case for my copy of Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, 1885 U.S. edition. I purchased it at a thrift store in Dubuque, Iowa during college. It has a blue leather cover that is somewhat frayed at the binding and the title letters are fairly worn. Inside the cover is an inscription that reads, "A Christmas gift to my sister. Maria Lloyd, B.B. Hathaway. Dec. 27, 1884.
The book went in and out of boxes during our moves and gathered dust much of the time without ever being read. Then one day, on a summer afternoon, in my early 30s, I found myself with downtime and a hankering for something to read. That day I pulled Jane Eyre off the shelf and began to read.
For the next couple of days, to say I fell in love with Jane is an understatement. I felt this thrill and connection with this woman who accepted her standing in life but harbored an inner strength of will. She believed herself plain and poor, but determined to make the best of her situation nonetheless. I identified with her because of the angst and misery I remembered from my adolescence . . . feeling plain but hoping and wishing for inner beauty that would be found by another.
Of course, the fact that her employer Edward Rochester sees her true worth had me swooning. What plain girl doesn't wish to have a beauty within that shines out no matter if she is the standard version of beautiful or not? Come on ladies, admit it. Don't we love our heroins who have strong characters and inner fortitude?
My treasure was finding Jane Eyre and then after that the other Bronte sister stories, and Jane Austin, too. Just the thought of these stories makes me long for a cup of tea and a cozy chair.
Now your turn. Have you ever found anything valuable or unusual?
Question #134 from The Art of Conversation Game which you can purchase right here at Storied Gifts.
photo by valerie renee powered by flickr
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