Dear reader, this truly is the sweetest thing. Do you know what a kokeshi doll is? When I was a little girl, my mom enrolled me in violin lessons through the Suzuki method. It was a fairly new approach to music at the time, especially in the quaint little hamlet of my childhood, and so the Suzuki teacher was actually a young woman from Japan who lived at our house for a period of time. Her name was Mariko.
She spoke almost no English and, of course, my Japanese wasn't so hot, either. I have many memories of her gentle hands correcting my posture over and over: my feet, my bow hold, how my chin rested against the instrument. But most of all, she had to gesture to get my attention. My eyes were always wandering around her room, which contained tiny, fascinating objects and curios and candies from Japan.
After Mariko returned back home, she stayed in touch with my family over the years. Once she sent us a pair of kokeshi dolls, hands clasped, delicately painted. I spent many moments watching them together: still, quiet, feelings held close to the heart.
Before my mom passed away, she asked me which of her possessions I'd like to have. I'm funny this way--there is something about me that is not really attached to things, especially if that thing is supposed to remind me of someone I love. It's almost as if the object gets in the way of my connection to that person. Or perhaps I don't want a reminder of her absence.
Either way, I'm no ascetic. And I do admit to getting excited over Martha Stewart glitter, so let's not crown me with a halo just yet.
At any rate, I was content to let the division of her possessions take a more organic path, and I ended up with these kokeshi dolls. Which bring me back to that moment in childhood every time I see them.
Wait, am I still talking? This was a simple giveaway, right?
Well, I just wanted to give you a little background information, dear reader. So you could know of the feelings which go into making these sweet ornaments.
Because we are talking kokeshi dolls and french dots here. I'm not sure it gets any better than that.
If you would like such a quiet little doll hanging in your own home, please leave a comment at the bottom of this post. I will draw and announce a winner on Monday.