By Teresa Luce-Spangler, Tualatin Development and Estate Store Assistant
Two smiling little porcelain girls sat cuddling together in our Tualatin Estate Store. The small Hummel figurine came out of a donation box and went into the collection of small treasures in the glass display case. Shoppers peering in to see them did not know how important these girls had been to their former owner.
The Note
We found a handwritten note from the donor. She explained that she had purchased the pair back in the 1970s, when she was 17, while her dad served in the military in Germany:
“I bought it because it was German and my mom and dad had lots of them. So it seemed right.”
She explained that she paid $35 for the figurine, which at the time, meant a week’s wages.
The figurine took on a greater meaning later in her life:
“Years later, I found it odd that after losing my boy and having two girls – that the little figure was/is two girls. I often stared at it like it was some sort of odd foreshadowing. It at once shows me the beauty of my girls and the absence of my boy.”
This sweetly sad letter broke our hearts here at Community Warehouse.
A New Home
But, the little girls are now bringing happiness to a new home.
As she leaned over the case, one of our customers was excited:
“I had a small Hummel figurine that I got in Germany while my husband served overseas. We moved many times, and it was thrown out. I have been trying to replace it!”
She left our store with a big smile, and so did we.
Our greatest pleasure comes from watching the beautiful objects in our store find new homes. Our joy is even greater knowing the treasures that you purchase help families in need live in fully furnished, comfortable homes.
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