It started with just one. A niece in a Christmas frame of mind sent us a Poinsettia embellished mug. Too pretty to use, it was proudly displayed in the showcase. A little later, a nephew chanced upon a ‘Bonnie’ mug – the collie gazing out from the ceramic surface was an almost exact match of our beloved trike, now in doggie heaven. Much appreciated, this too was sat upon the showcase shelf.
Some time down the line, a departing neighbour gifted us a ‘Geranium’ mug because geraniums are for friendship. Since we already had abundant teacups in use, this one also found space on the shelf. Then, our college ‘gang’ met up for a reunion and, unusually, all of us were in the same place at the same time. So we decided to commemorate the occasion with, of course, a mug! Now this was definitely a collectible and on the shelf it went. Four mugs parked together in happy companionship.
And that’s when the multiplication took off. A visitor exclaimed, ‘You collect mugs!’ and promptly gifted me a memento of a trip outside of Mumbai. I also have a ‘Wendy’ mug gifted by a thoughtful niece and a ‘To a Special Aunt’ from another (the words on this one are guaranteed to keep me on my toes!). Mug by mug, the collection has built up to include one extolling friendship and another marking the anniversary of St. Xavier’s college – my husband’s Alma Mater. I do not know how many are considered a ‘collection’, but shelf space is definitely at a premium and, perhaps, it is now time to take down each mug in order to toast the giver with a refreshing swig of tea.
Till that happens, each passing glance at the mugs on the shelf recalls the love and friendship encased in happy, attractive vitreous decoration.
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