Thursday, May 05, 2011

The Story of Ruby's Teacup


One of my mother's friends traveled throughout the Pacific Northwest, visiting women's groups in churches, hospitals, and schools, conducting teas and sharing her fabulous teacup and teapot collection.  She said that every teacup has a story.  And, I believe that is so.  Attached to teacups are memories of who you served a cup of tea to, or the journey to a special place where you purchased a cup, or ties of friendship from someone who gave a teacup to you. Today I would like to share about a special teacup with you as part of Miss Spenser's Teacup Thursday event.  It is the story of a friendship, one that has spanned enough years to make it worthy of a second glance and of what has made it work so well.  It is the story of Nancy and me.  Years ago we were second graders living about a block from one another.  Each day we would walk the mile or two to school down one long street.  It was always more fun to walk with a friend, and of course we always felt more secure that way.  Our second grade teacher was Miss Henderson and we thought she was awfully pretty.  We were pretty excited when she told us that she had become engaged that year and would be getting married during the summer.  Two starry-eyed little girls found that to be such romantic news.  Our friendship continued into third and forth grades.  We played dolls together and sometimes our sisters would join us. Then my friend moved away.  California became her new home, but it wasn't so far that we couldn't visit one another occasionally.  A few times our family went to visit hers, and once or twice she came back to our town as well.  In ninth or tenth grade we had our last "in person" visit with one another.  She was passing through town and we had a picnic in the park.  High school days were busy.  We went to different colleges and Nancy moved about as far away as a friend could go --- to Florida.  We wrote letters to one another until our college years and then lost touch.  Somehow we reunited with one another in our early thirties.  I think it was a found address and a birth announcement that reignited our friendship.  We discovered we'd had babies just days apart.  Letters started flying back and forth and haven't stopped ever since.  Emails, packages, pictures, cards and notes, letters, and phone calls have cemented our friendship into one that makes us more than just friends, but sisters as well.  Time has passed and lives have changed.  We knew each others mothers well, as we had been childhood friends who had played at each of our houses on many occasions.  Within a span of a few short years we both lost our mothers to death. We mourned together.  And we shared the experience of emptying a parents home and finding places for things that were meaningful to each of us.  Some of the things we shared with one another.  This little teacup is one Nancy shared with me.  It was her mothers and it now holds a place of honor on a cabinet in my dining room.  Each time I look at it I think of Nancy and her faithfulness as a friend.  I also think of her mother, Ruby, and how she always exuded love and acceptance to everyone she came in contact with.  This teacup is called Old English Rose and is a Royal Albert Crown China teacup made in England. Beautiful pink and burgundy roses surround the teacup brim, inside and out.  A gold leaf borders both cup and saucer.  This is my Ruby cup and one I treasure, not simply because it is very beautiful, but because of the person it represents to me.  And that is the story of this special teacup.

8 comments:

  1. What a sweet story of friendship this is. How good to have the memories and each other to share good and hard times!

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  2. That's such a beautiful story of friendship. I'm so glad you shared it and the history of a that pretty teacup.

    I have a long-time friend also and we've known each other since we were toddlers. Beth was about 2 and I was only about a year old when we started playing together and a friendship was born. We've always kept contact depsite living in different places and were in each other's wedding. We both turn 50 this year and plan on getting together this summer to celebrate.

    Friendship is precious such as the ones we form online. :o)

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  3. That is a BEAUTIFUL story and I can feel the love you share for Nancy and her family, and for this teacup.

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  4. What a sweet story....friendship are such a blessing. Lovely teacup....hugs for a great weekend.

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  5. What a sweet story, and a lovely keepsake...

    Blessings, Debbie

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  6. A beautiful story! I'm so glad that you have found a way to remain in touch. Even though you haven't seen each other often through the years, it's been the tangible things, like the tea cup, that hold the friendship together. I must remember this.

    (My grandmother has this cup in her collection. I've always thought of it as particularly handsome and elegant.)

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  7. Anonymous9:48 AM

    Thank you so much for sharing such a beautiful and touching story. Your blog is always beautiful - but this story speaks particularly of love and hospitality and generosity and friendship. Thank you so much for sharing!
    Blessings,
    Eliza in Ireland
    xx

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  8. That's a really sweet story!

    I love the following teacups:
    - My mom's old Wedgwood set because we've had it since childhood and I associate it with fond memories.
    - My ugly blue Ikea mugs that I no longer use because it was one of the first items my husband and I bought for our household together.
    - My pretty, white teacups with purple flowers plus matching pot because it is a set I recently bought in a commitment to beautify my home.
    - My white and pink rose mug (featured on the photo on my blog Give Away!) because when I am lonely, drinking from that mug cheers me up! :)

    Blessings,
    This Good Life

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