Page 12 - ISI_151_AprilMay

PAGE 12 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT • APRIL // MAY 2019
Inspiration

THOUGHTS•PEOPLE•STORIES•PLACES

Inch by Inch

At the same time, she admitted that it would
BY MIKE MCGOUGH have been nice to have had someone else with
whom to share the load. Nonetheless, she had
(PACIFICO REFLECTIONS) The tasks that came been able to remain at the top of her game,
to her shop were as numerous as they were var- and thus had long been an artisan with a great
ied. She was a craftsperson and an artisan with reputation and a craftsperson whose skills were
extraordinary talents and skills. She had learned in demand. Her efficiency and effectiveness
her craft and perfected it at a time prior to the were commendable.
development of the current throwaway economy. A visit to her shop, or hospital as she liked
Items were bought with the intention of keeping to call it, provided ample evidence of her skills,
them. Dolls were certainly no exception. Once her sense of commitment to what she did, and
purchased they generally became valued trea- her sense of purpose. Looking around it was
sures that went on to become family heirlooms © rstavila, Bigstock.com easy to see that this was indeed a hospital.
that survived for generations. There were numerous broken dolls carefully
When she first opened her doll hospital, she did it with a strong laid out on a blanket that covered a long table in what she called the
sense of purpose and with heartfelt, yet practical, intentions. As one operating room. Some of the dolls appeared to be in critical condition,
who appreciated both the contemporary and heirloom value of dolls, while others appeared to have the typical breaks, cuts, and tears
she wanted to serve those with similar appreciations. you would expect to see. These broken dolls could easily have been
Over the next 75 years, she never lost sight of her initial purpose, trashed. They could have been discarded since the owner had long since
and she never wavered from the intentions with which she opened her outgrown them, or they could have been thrown out and replaced.
business. Change had been an almost constant companion in her line However, someone cared enough to give them a second chance.
of work. Styles, materials, and the economy in general had changed After observing her for a time it was evident that she was just the
countless times. one to give them that chance. She cared, and it showed.
Over many years she had the opportunity to work with numerous On a small shelf near the front of the shop, there were a number
customers. She respected them all and gave each of them the time and of dolls that looked every bit as new as the day they were made. Their
attention they deserved. bright, colorful faces, their perfectly cleaned and pressed clothes, and
She had always been a one-person operation. She once shared their neatly groomed hair showed a great deal of care and attention.
with a friend that working alone was both good and bad. She She explained that some of her patients would be returned to
liked being the boss. She could set her own schedule, work at her children who would once again love them and play with them. Others
own pace, and she alone could control the quality of the work would be going home to be placed on a shelf to serve as a pleasant
she performed. reminder of a friendship based in happy childhood memories. “In
either case,” she said, “someone is going to be happy!”
To the casual visitor, the operating room of this hospital was a bit
Moving Soon? of a mess. The patients were all different. They were made of different
materials, their designs were unique.
Without her years of experience, knowing where to start would
We’re your full-service moving have been a challenge in and of itself. But for her it almost happened
naturally. One-by-one, day-by-day, she worked on one doll at a time.
specialist. From selling your home Each doll received her careful attention, until it was ready to be put on

to personal property. the small shelf near the front of the store. There was no real hurry,
and there was no sense of complication to what she did.
Watching her for any length of time left one to wonder how she
Maximize did what she did with such patience, joy, and success over so many

your return years. Near the shelf where the dolls waited to be picked up, there
was a small plaque on the wall. It not only provided some practical
• Licensed Real insight into life, but it also seemed to speak to her long-term success.
Estate Agent The small sign read, “Yard by yard life is hard, inch by inch it’s a cinch.”

• Estate Specialists Regardless of your career or occupation, the words on the wall of
this doll hospital provide some sound advice for us all. ISI
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