I’ve had them for over twenty years – a gift from my friend, Elizabeth. She sent the set because she thought they would go well with my dining room chairs – and even though she hadn’t seen the chairs in months, the napkins matched them perfectly in both color and pattern.

What you can’t see when they are folded are the frayed edges and the faint stains. They have graced my holidays and my every day table weekly. Every time I put them out, I think of my friend and how her work has brought beauty into my home.

New things have a beauty that cannot be matched by the time-worn and use-worn. But old things have a history that come with them, cords connecting to years long gone and people no longer living next door or living.

Blessed be such ties that bind our hearts together.

This is one in a Thanksgiving series. Click Good Gifts above for more…