A Year of Gratitude – April 29, 2024

The gratitude I felt today was a spillover from the weekend. My daughter and I took a road trip to Salem, Massachusetts. We had been talking about taking that trip for years. Saturday was the day we finally made it happen.

We had a lovely day. It was my favorite sort of day in an undiscovered location. We wandered from one local spot to another. We had a few places we wanted to visit, but mostly we just spent time together and let the day take shape.

The weather was lovely and we walked the cobblestone streets of the quaint downtown area. We stopped where we wanted, and just enjoyed each other’s company. I don’t give myself the time to do that often enough. Saturday was the reminder I needed that I really should.

At one of the shops we visited, I discovered that the owner was originally from the French Alps. We had a delightful conversation when I came to the cash register.

I had chosen a lovely folding picnic knife that was made by Opinel. They’ve been making knives in France since 1890. I’ve always wanted one of their knives, but always convinced myself that I didn’t need it. This time, I decided to treat myself to one. It’s not often that you can find something for less than $20 that feels like a splurge yet is functional, so it was a perfect fit for me.

When she was wrapping up my purchase, she asked me if I knew anything about Opinel or where they were made. She went on to tell me that she was from the area in France where they are made. She had the loveliest French accent and I could watch as her face lit up while talking about the place she had called home as a child.

She told me about the knife she has that was given to her by her father. She shared a local tradition from her childhood of passing down these knives to the next generation, believing that the good times you have created with yours will go on to make new memories with the recipient. She also shared that part of that tradition is trading a coin for the knife, that the belief was that it was better to trade these items than to simply give it away.

She seemed surprised that I was so interested in listening to her story. Yet I was. It’s so rare that we listen to people, really listen to the interesting tales they have to tell. We all have those stories about our past, about our families or the places we have been. Those stories are worth telling and they are absolutely worthy of listening to.

I was so glad that she had shared that story with me. I will forever think of it when I open this folding knife. I will also remember the lovely day I purchased it. I have big plans for this knife this summer. I plan to put it to good use making those good times she spoke of. Then I will trade one of my children a coin for this knife so that they can make their own great memories.

Given that I am fortunate to have two children, I should have bought two of these knives, but I didn’t know the fascinating tale when I picked one up. That’s just as well. It will give me a reason to travel back to Salem, to visit this shop, and to pick up another one. I’ll give myself permission to have a day away from my projects, to be present with whoever accompanies me on the trip.

I’ll hope to hear another story about a picnic knife. Or perhaps there will be a different story to listen to. Either way, I’ll be ready to listen. And I’m already ready to plan that first picnic. I have good memories to make and time is wasting.

This post is part of our A Year of Gratitude Series. You can find the introduction, inspiration, and entire year’s gratitude’s posts here.