Years ago, I had a cow.
Oh it wasn’t a real cow, just a huge chunky version made of resin.
But, man, I loved that thing.
My mom spotted it first, chilling with a herd at a roadside farmstand, while on the way home from an ocean getaway.
That statue was one of my most favorite home decor treasures, that is, until it broke.
Yes, sadly there was an accident and the damage was irreparable.
I shared the whole sordid tale several years ago...because the cow, pig, goat, chicken statue my husband bought me to replace it, also broke.
Yeah, clearly I don't have great luck with cows.
While my husband and I were able to fix the farm animal pyramid, which, by the way, has been a lovely consolation prize, I've never really been able to forget about my first barnyard love.
And apparently, neither has the rest of the family.
It was a decor staple in the kitchen and a lovely reminder of great times.
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| The one and only photo I have of my cow- circa 2004 |
It's been years since she shattered, but every now and then, someone will bring that animal up. There's always a story about hunting for one around my birthday or Christmas.
They talk about how they've never stopped looking.
How they searched online, in shops and at yard sales and always came up empty handed.
Until.
A few days ago my youngest hopped in the car and excitedly announced that she had found the most perfect Mother's Day present and she couldn't wait to give it to me.
I have such a story...can I please, please just give it to you now?
Her face was beaming and I was, naturally, extremely curious…and who was I to quell such excitement? So off we went to her house for my gift.
When we got there, I sat on the sofa as she grabbed something out of the closet, held it tight, concealed behind her back and proceeded to tell me a very dramatic tale.
One that started in an antique warehouse, where she spotted something she'd been searching for forever. It was sitting on a shelf behind the register with a post-it note attached.
After walking around the shop, looking for another and coming up empty handed, she went back to the checkout area.
She recounted the conversation she had with the man and woman who worked there. How she inquired about the item, asked what the post-it was all about and did they happen to have another?
But they never did.
Then my daughter explained to them how she'd be hunting for that exact item, or one very similar, for years. That she'd looked high and low with no success.
She said she was happy to know that her elusive treasure was still out there, but sad that this one had already been sold.
The shop workers then told her that maybe she could come back in a few weeks, that perhaps by then they'd have more information, they might even be able track down the person who purchased it.
To find out if they still wanted it and if not, then they could resell it to her.
She told them how a larger version of this item was in our home for years, how it fell and broke and how she'd been on the hunt for a replacement for almost 20 years.
And that if she could give this item to her mom for Mother's Day it would be very, very special.
At that moment, she said, the man and woman looked at each other, grabbed the item from the shelf behind them, removed the "sold" post-it and handed it to her.
Take it, they said.
My daughter was flabbergasted (and quietly elated.)
Are you sure?
They were and remarked that it had been sitting there for months. Unclaimed. It was a longshot that anyone was coming back.
When she asked how much, they replied, No worries...it's been paid for...
She protested for a bit, but they told her it was all good. So she thanked them profusely and left the shop.
Beaming.
I have to be honest, when the story was done and she pulled that cow out from behind her back and presented it to me, with the same wide eyed look she had hugging the original, two decades before, I was shocked.
It should've been so obvious where this story was going from the beginning, but for some reason, it was not.
I was blown away.
I actually welled up. Over a resin cow.
Smaller that the one that I had purchased years and years ago, but otherwise identical in every single way.
Of course, the tears weren't really about a plastic figurine.
Like my beloved Frankenpot, that cow was just a hollow trinket, it was the story behind the item that made it so special.
The memories of a beautiful trip when my babies were small. Of my husband pulling over because he knew I loved those old timey mom and pop stands.
Of my sweet mother, healthy and strong, offering to spoil me, as usual.
And mostly because of the love that went into that never-ending search for a second hand cow, simply to make me smile.
Which by the way, it did.
And continues to do so every single day, when I see her in my kitchen.
Where she looks right at home, back under that plate rack.
I mean it would be odd for lightning to strike twice in that same spot, right?
But like my daughter's friend said, It's not every day that the universe gives you a prepaid cow.
So yeah, maybe I should move this one.
🐄
Do you have a long lost treasure you've been looking for?
Happy treasure hunting, friends!
Wow Kim, I can't believe that your daughter found that cow that looks almost exactly like the one you had. What a perfect Mother's Day gift. I hope you enjoy your new cow.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Julie! I was so excited when she presented it to me. I just love it...
DeleteThat's is so awsome! What are the chances of finding another cow!?
ReplyDeleteLucky you! Enjoy!
Thanks so much, Jacque! I'd honestly forgotten all about the hunt for that cow. I never expected to see another one in my kitchen. It's a definite bright spot. ☺️
DeleteI collected several (45+) "Bliss" coffee tins and could spot them from afar. I was giving my grandparents(whose last name was Bliss) their 60th wedding anniversary, and someone sent me one free, if I would tell them good wishes. I did!!! People from all around would get me the tins and it meant so much!!!
ReplyDeleteWow!! That is a very cool story!! I love that you gave them to your grandparents and that so many people contributed. A global effort!! Of course, now I need to go look them up. I don't believe I've ever run across one!!
DeleteI’ve had a few things in my lifetime that have vanished into thin air and only god knows what’s happened to them. My treasures still haunt me to this day but what am I to do. Not broken but taken, stolen from my life in other ways. I won’t go into detail but they were things that meant a lot to me. I really felt this post so much so that it actually brought tears to my eyes. What a grand thing for your daughter to do for her mother. I would cherish that for a lifetime!
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry to hear about your lost treasures, it really does tug at your heart, doesn't it? I lost the pearls my mom gave me for my 16th birthday after she passed and I was devastated. They just vanished from my home...a bit of a mystery, so I get it. This cow does fill a bit of that hole, it really was a grand thing and I feel blessed.
DeleteI forgot to ask if there are any markings on it as to who it’s made by or where it came from?
ReplyDeleteNo, that would be so helpful...although I may use my new favorite Google Image Search to see if another pops up!
Delete❤️❤️❤️❤️
ReplyDeleteFour hearts is a lovely compliment. Thank you very much!!
DeleteWhat a loving story!!
ReplyDeleteI recently found a replacement item that I had looked for,for quite some time. A small, less than one inch, glass unicorn. Her name is Eunice, like my mother's name. I had bought the original 15 years ago and she lived in my terrarium. Someone opened my terrarium (thinking it needed tending to) and everything in it died shortly after. Eunice got lost in the dirt during the clean out. Thanks to Etsy, I have a replacement!! For now she is still in her original package... someday I may make her a new garden....
Oh Margie, that must've been so disappointing, but I'm so glad you were able to locate Eunice's twin!! Isn't Etsy fabulous? I've found so many great treasures there. I think I'd be keeping Eunice packaged up and safe, too, until she has a garden to hide in. Speaking of, I still haven't moved that cow. 😉 PS- love the name Eunice. My mom's name was Harriet and apparently, those name are all the rage again.
DeleteI'm now looking for a Christmas coloring poster I did way back in the late 70's....it's seems to always be something...lol
DeleteHaha!! Yes...I know the feeling!!
DeleteSuch a loving and lovely post which I so enjoyed.
ReplyDeleteI love that cow :)
Wishing you a happy new month of May.
All the best Jan
https://thelowcarbdiabetic.blogspot.com/
Hi Jan, Happy May! Thanks for the visit and the kind comment.
DeleteIn the 1970s, I worked in a beauty shop, and at Christmas one of my clients gave me some Christmas earrings. Unfortunately, that winter, I lost one. I have been looking forever for another set, but have never found even one earring like it. I continue to look on eBay and at antique stores, sales, etc.
ReplyDeleteOh how completely frustrating. I know that feeling. Google image search is a great tool. If you haven't tried it, you should. You never know when that earring might show up! 🤞🏻
DeleteWhat a great story and a sweet cow - love it. For years I have looked for a pair of earrings that my Hubby and two small children gave to me while I was in XR school. I lost one of the earrings, and years later, wouldn't you know...I sold it for scrap, then almost immediately found the mate and I was heartbroken. Someday I'll find earrings that are a match and I will wear them with joy.
ReplyDeleteAw, Gina, that's terrible, I'm so sorry...isn't it always the way? And it always seems to be the most special treasures that go missing. I really do hope that you'll find a pair one day and get to wear those earrings again.
DeleteOh my gosh....you made me cry. That is the most special story and the most special cow.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Tracey! The story made me cry, too, and that cow makes me smile.
DeleteWhat a fantastic story! That is just so precious.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Precious cow, precious story, precious girl.
DeleteI am not going to tell you that my eyes are full of tears and ready to spill over. Nope-not gonna mention it!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fantastic story AND gift. I love it- I love that your daughter has that kind of love for her mom! You are blessed. xo Diana
Thank you, Diana. Blessed indeed. I think I cried all day, on and off and every time I looked at that cow. ❤️
DeleteI just love this story…and the story of how much your family loves you, and each other! How very blessed you are!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I really do feel blessed...
DeleteWowsie Kim how special is this cow. It looks so much like the other one too. What a sweet and wonderful gift from your daughter. I just love stories like yours it makes my heart smile. It will be a treasure now with old memories and new wonderful memories attached. This is so great and she is pretty cute. Hugs Kris @ Junk Chic Cottage
ReplyDeleteThanks Kris! It really was the sweetest present. The cow is adorable, but the story is the real gift. I had no idea that she'd been looking all these years. I know they all told tales of the elusive cow, but I really thought it ended there, with talk.
DeleteWhat a wonderful story, Kim! As much as you love the cow, I know your daughter's thoughtfulness (& persistence!) is the most meaningful gift of all!
ReplyDeleteYes! That is what makes the cow so special. It really is the most meaningful gift of all.
DeleteOh, Kim! How delightful! That is such a sweet story. I’m glad that you have a smaller version of your beloved cow!
ReplyDeleteDeanna Rabe
Thank you so much, Deanna! It really is a sweet little cow and a really big gesture that made me smile. ❤️
DeleteOh Kim, that’s just the sweetest story! I can just picture the excitement of your darling daughter in finding the special cow (and prepaid even). How very thoughtful of her and how wonderful of the store owners to give it to her. That cow has such memories attached to it and is indeed very special. ❤️
ReplyDeleteIt is now a very, very special cow, Kitty, you are so right and my daughter's face while she was telling me the story was so precious. That was the real gift! Thanks for stopping by!!
DeleteI l.ove this story! It has to one of the sweetest ever. Now you have a small chubby replacement!
ReplyDeleteI do!! I think she may have started a trend...I see more of these cows in my future!!
DeleteWhat a great story, and yes, we do have a lost treasure. Ours is a pig. Actually 'Tiger Pig'. He was a bank and was knocked over and smashed to smithereens. I used the story for a writing lesson with my 1st graders. A few weeks later, a little girl came to school with a present for me. She couldn't find a tiger pig, but did find "Polka Dot Pig'. He is a treasured part of my collection with a sweet story! I'm so glad you have a new cow, Kim. Keep him safe!
ReplyDeleteOh Ann, that is the sweetest tale!! Aren't kids the best? They just have the biggest hearts.
DeleteOh my, a sweet, sweet story.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing.
Carla
Thank you, Carla!! It's a very sweet pig, too...
DeleteKim!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fantastic story!!! One I am sure that both you and your daughter will remember forever...God Bless those shop owners for giving her that cherished treasure knowing it was going to be a Mother's day gift for her Mom....The kindness of others never ceases to amaze me....Thanks so much for sharing that story...It made my day!!
Hugs,
Deb
Debbie-Dabble Blog
They were truly the sweetest people, Debbie. I mean to give her that cow for free was just so over the top kind. She is planning on going back to thank them and show them the picture of her as a little girl with the original cow. I think they'd get a kick out of that!!
DeleteI love this! The "things" in life that remind us of family, love, and fun times can be priceless! I am glad she found that cow. Great story!
ReplyDeleteYes!! I agree...and I'm so sorry this is such a late reply! I don't know how I missed your sweet comment all those months ago...but it brings me joy to see it again!
Deletelove this story Kim!!! agree with all the comments above🩷
ReplyDeleteThanks Laura! I have to say I'm not sure if I love the cow or the story more...
DeleteYour way with words always amazes me, Kim. I'm sitting here with happy tear-filled eyes all because of a beautiful story of a cow. May your new little version bring you lots of joy and many more memories.
ReplyDeleteMichelle, you are too kind. I'm so glad my words touched you. As a writer that is the highest compliment I could receive.
DeleteOh my gracious this is the sweetest story ever. I love love love love love this. And yes, it's not every day the universe gives you a pre-paid cow. This was a great thing to share. Your daughter is an absolutely gem. ♥
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Michele! She is a keeper, very sentimental, I am blessed. Thanks so much for stopping by and taking the time to let me know you enjoyed the story. Happy Weekend!!
DeleteOh Kim, this was the perfect story, I admit, I teared up. You have mentioned before how close you and your mom were, this is just a perfect full circle cow. So happy you shared this story! <3
ReplyDeleteThank you, Cara. It really was a special gift and one that keeps my mom close to my heart.
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