There are certain things that hold stories even after the people are gone. For me, one of those things is this little sword-shaped letter opener that once belonged to my Gramma.

I can still see her sitting at the table, sunlight hitting her coffee cup just right…or whatever she had in that cup! She would be opening her mail with this very piece of metal. She handled it with that kind of calm precision that only grandmothers seem to have, as if she were opening tiny doors to the outside world.

Everything came by mail back then, letters from friends, bills (the kind you wrote checks for), maybe a catalog or two. The world moved slower, and somehow, it felt kinder.

This piece was from her time at Temple University. I believe it was one of those gratitude gifts from the school, though honestly, it feels more like a little sword of connection now…a link between her world and mine.

Today, it sits on my desk. Whenever I open mail with it, I’m instantly back in that kitchen with her. I can smell Tide and Downey, hear her southern drawl and for a split second, it’s as if time folds in on itself.

It’s funny how something so simple can bring back so much love.

XOXO, Jani