Roosters bring a smile to my face
It's good to have items around your house or apartment that bring a smile to your face. Smiling is very important to our daily well-being, and should not be left to chance.
There are many ways a smile happens - watching antics of your pets, a funny TV show, hearing a favorite song, even a silly accident such as spilling the bowl of blueberries all over the floor. That is a mess - the only thing to do is smile!
Collections can be entertaining. One of my collections is a rooster collection. Yes, roosters - wood carvings, tiles, metal, ceramics. Even some hens.
It started because my husband Baheej loved chickens and roosters. When he was growing up in Nazareth, in the Holy Land, they had them (along with fresh eggs) right on their own property, and so did his grandmother Leah who lived next door.
Baheej's roosters and hens are mostly from our international travels. Once he found an Italian rooster tile in a shop in Rochester, Minnesota, by a well-known artist, very expensive - I thought he was kidding. He was not. So I went back and bought it as a surprise for his birthday!
I've added to the rooster collection, mostly American folk art and ceramics. Some are gifts from friends who know I collect roosters. Several are from estate sales. Fun to collect and cheerful to see around the house. They remind me of happy days with Baheej.
Actually I have many collections, but everything has its place. Since I love cats and have two dear kitties, I collect kitty figurines. Have lots of them. Even a shelf of kitties in the laundry room. I smile every time I look at them.
Since I love to cook, I collected pretty china. Actually Baheej started the china collection, he usually chose the pattern by the shape of the espresso cup and the colors, of course. He actually selected four of our patterns. And I inherited some of my Grandmother Anderson's china.
Since I love horses, I collect horse figurines. Baheej got me going again on building a horse collection. When I was a teenager I told my mother I didn't want my childhood collection and so she sold it at a garage sale, along with my golf shoes and clubs. About 20 years ago, Baheej surprised me with a small group of crystal horses to start a new collection.
We also collected decorative ceramics, and pottery. You get the picture … not hoarding but cupboards full! We have lots of pieces and tiles we brought from Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Morocco, Mexico, Jerusalem, Greece.
Collecting has many advantages including evoking nice memories of events and trips, having pretty objects about the house, and keeping you focused at yard sales and farmers markets. That way I have a goal - roosters, cats, horses.
The point is - building collections is a helpful activity - it's another tool for managing and coping with long-term grief because it gets you out into the community and makes you smile.
Our china is my oldest collection, and using the various patterns always reminds me of joyful times with Baheej. He loved fine china, loved good meals, and always spread joy. Thinking of him and his roosters makes me feel better.
• Susan Anderson-Khleif of Sleepy Hollow has a Ph.D. in family sociology from Harvard, taught at Wellesley College, and is a retired Motorola executive. Contact her at sakhleif@comcast.net or see her blog longtermgrief.tumblr.com. See previous columns at www.dailyherald.com/topics/Anderson-Kleif-Susan/.