These two vintage tassels hung out with me for years. (I didn’t even have curtains when I bought them in Paris at the flea market.) The silk threads were once before bold like red and golden poppies. But like the seasons, time had faded their colors softly into hues of autumn.
A few months ago I sent them off to a new home in Australia. Customs did not let them enter, siting they were old and possibly infested with bugs, which could endanger the environment. The officials threw them into a hot furnace.
Last night at a dinner party, a friend shared a story about an older couple in their late 80s. The story went like this: The couple loved to dance, and the man was often very jealous of his wife. One evening while dancing the tango the man’s jealousy got the best of him..he pulled out a knife and stabbed his wife.
Our friend said, "As terrible as it sounds, I admire the passion they must have shared. I hope I have such a passion when I am in my 80s…it was a beautiful death don’t you think?"
I leaned in close to French husband and said to the scary romantics who were agreeing with her, "Nah, I would prefer a passion where my toes were stepped on dancing a slow dance, and my death comes at night while asleep in my husband’s arms."
The two vintage tassels never parted ways, even when tossed into the furnace. When the going gets tough it is best to hold on to love, not let it go…or at least keep your knives in the drawer.
Photo: Tied true.
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