COLLECTIBLE MEMORIES

Everybody has interesting stories to tell about their mothers. When I was working on my art collectibles website recently, I had an inspiration - why not capture these stories on my website?

Cherish Collectibles is really all about appreciating and cherishing the really important people in our lives, particularly our mothers, children and family. Multiple award-winning artist Edna Hibel conveys this beautifully through her exquisite art and collectibles.

Not everyone is artistic, but everyone can share a story about their loved ones. If you have a story you'd like to tell about your mom or motherhood in general, or perhaps even a story about your child or childhood, please contact me at enquiries@cherishcollectibles.com. I'd love to hear from you!

I plan to publish a collection of these stories. Turn your memories into collectible memories and start writing today!

WHY ART COLLECTIBLES?

In many ways, human beings are like bower birds. We like to collect pretty things and use them to beautify our homes. This probably explains the perennial appeal of art collectibles. Not all collectibles have such aesthetic value.

Everyone is a collector but not everyone collects the same things. Not all collections have value either. As a young girl, I loved to collect seashells and interesting-looking pebbles. I still have many of my finds today, but I know they're not worth anything. But I keep them anyway because they remind me of happy days by the beach, and lazy vacations. My marine collectibles make me smile at the warmth of the memories they evoke.

Collectibles say something about their owners and their values. My parents-in-law, for instance, are crazy about golf so they like to collect golf-themed objects. My recently-departed father appreciated Chinese art, so that's what he collected. One of my brothers is a collectible plate die-hard, while one of my sisters likes miniatures. My mum collects money, but that's another story.

Collecting should develop naturally. It should stem from a genuine interest in something. There are women who have a passion for butterfly jewelry. Life is short. Go for what pleases you. Your collection should have meaning and also, ideally, tell a story.

People who appreciate Edna Hibel art and collectibles invariably have strong family values. They enjoy the romantic, old-world charm of Hibel's art collectibles, and Hibel's lavish artistic style. Sterile modern minimalism is not for them.

Art collectibles like these touch hearts with their loving depiction of mothers and children. As gifts, they tell the recipients that they are loved and appreciated. What do your collectibles say about you?

NO REGRETS

When I was an undergraduate, I played the piano and sang with a Christian group in university. One day, we were supposed to visit an elderly, bedridden woman in her home. All the arrangements were made, and we promised we would be there. It rained that day, not heavily but enough to make the day a lazy one, the kind that makes you feel like lounging around at home. The hours went by, and we got lazier and lazier. Finally, it was evening, and we told ourselves that it was too late to visit the old woman. We could always visit her another day.

We never did get to visit that lady. She died that night. We were shell-shocked when we got the news. Her son told me that she had been so excited when she heard that she would be having guests that she had made a painstaking effort to put on nice clothes - no mean feat considering her frail condition. She had even sat up for a little while on her bed. She passed away waiting for us to show up.

That experience left a deep inprint on my soul. I have never forgotten that I made a promise to someone who died disappointed, waiting for me to honor that promise. Actions speak louder than words, and that lesson taught me that my words were hollow without action. And my life as a Christian was weak if I could not make the time and effort to show love and compassion.

You know that saying about regretting what you have NOT done in life, rather than what you HAVE done? That's so true. I would like to say that I was transformed after that experience, and that I never procrastinated again and that I always did what I planned to do. And that I always made time for someone who needed a listening ear and a loving touch.

But, sadly, that's not true. I have been lazy again on many occasions, and I have put things off far too many times. This Friday will mark four months since my father passed away, and this Sunday will be Father's Day. My father had worked hard all his life to support his family. His financial commitments and various health problems had made it virtually impossible for him to travel or go on vacation. I had planned to bring him on a one-day driving trip just across the border, but I never did. There always seemed to be other priorities, or I was just put off by his grouchiness.

For the same reasons, I always meant to spend more time with my father, but failed to do so. I had discovered nice restaurants which I meant to bring him to, but I never got around to it. In the last few months of his life, when he was very ill and hospitalized, I spent more time with my father than I had ever spent in typical years. It occurred to me the other day that I had never once brought my father out for his birthday. I'm the youngest in a family of eight and I always assumed that somebody would take care of that. In fact, most of the time it was my father who arranged dinner at a restaurant on his birthday, and it was he who personally called all of my siblings, one by one, to come for his birthday dinner.

I could have taken my dad out for lunch, at least, on his birthday. But I never did. And now it's too late.

Good intentions are worthless without action. Time goes by too fast, and we are left with regrets. Is there something you've always wanted to to, but have been putting off? Perhaps you've always wanted to start a business, or learn how to swim. When I started Cherish Collectibles and Silver Butterfly Jewelry, it was a few years later than I had hoped for, but at least I did it! Don't waste another day! Do something about it NOW! Or perhaps there's someone you've been meaning to call or see. Maybe you've been meaning to see your dad this Father's Day. What are you waiting for? Pick up that phone!

Don't end your life with a pile of regrets. Take concrete action today. Follow these steps:

• Draw up a list of things you've been planning to do and people you've been planning to call upon.
  
• Write this title right on the top of the page : "NO MORE REGRETS!".
  
• Act on those items on your list, one by one, and cross them out as you take action on them.
  
• Put the list in a prominent place, where you'll always be able to see it.

One step at a time, you can make every month meaningful and satisfying. NO MORE REGRETS!