EP 82 - In Honor of Jacquelyn Swenson

The Mothball Prophecies

The passage of time allows for a great many things. The lives of those closest to us shape the history of our existence. We hear stories of those who’ve come before, of faces we will never see smile, laugh, or cry but still we feel the richness of their emotions. We exchange memories over cups of tea and slices of hummingbird cake or huckleberry pie. Through stories, we learn lessons we cannot fully comprehend until we become wise with experience. These tales smooth over the cracks, bringing to light details we may have missed before. Thus is the magic of storytelling.

I was shaped under the watchful eye of my grandfather and the careful nudging of my grandmother. They helped mold the person you see before you. My grandmother deserves all of the credit for my love of old things and dusty treasures. She taught me the value of a good deal. She showed me how to identify fine porcelain and where it was made by checking for marks, hieroglyphs, that secret code just for me. She showed me how to crochet granny squares and taught me to sew straight lines on yellow legal pads. She taught me how to pair jewelry with outrageous outfits. She paid extra for haircuts before I went to my first global training. She taught me the importance of recording memories so we might look back one day and marvel at them. She tsked at my choice of hair color, but always admired my bravery. She brought me to the threshold of curiosity and threw open the doors. She instilled in me my effervescence for life and stories. She encouraged all of my ideas and dreams.

She filled my life with so much light; I can never repay her. I want to thank her for taking me, the girl who could barely keep her hands in her pockets, to places filled with magic. This week has left me with an internal hole that will be impossible to fill. It is only truthful to say my Grandmother deserves all the credit for this entire podcast. Without her love of antiques, there is no Mothball Prophecies.

I’m so thankful I was able to share her with all of you. The last time we were together I told her about all of the places in the world where her episode had been played. She was absolutely tickled pink and so grateful. She was proud of me for what I have made in this world and proud of all of you for bearing witness to it. We laid her to rest this past week but today we all honor her. So please, have a cup of tea, watch some QVC, peruse an antique store, and have some fudge cake.

this episode has been reshared with additions to the original episode posting

we share this episode in honor of

Jacquelyn Swenson.

Beloved Sister, Mother, Grandmother, Aunt, and Friend.

May 23, 1945 - February 27, 2022

attribution link