Love & Kindness
Passing it forward by the cupful is what this treasured collection is all about
When I opened the March 2020 issue of More of Our Canada, I was pleasantly surprised to see the “Teacup Treasures” article by Debbie Wright of Niagara, Ont. I too am a collector of teacups, and I had just sent six sets of cups and saucers to my sister, Kiyoko Ishihara, who is 99 years old and lives in Osaka, Japan. Even though we were all born in Canada, my three oldest siblings were brought up in Japan. Four younger ones (including me) remained in Canada.
The gift sets I sent to Kiyoko, now my only surviving sibling, were from among my collection that dates back almost 65 years. Now quite numerous, each and every item was made in Britain. After the gift package arrived in Japan, Kiyoko’s daughter, Tomoko, snapped a photo of the six cups and saucers, and another of her mom sipping her tea from one of the cups, and then sent me copies, which made my day.
I received most of the cups and saucers in my collection as gifts during the course of my lifetime, the very first one is long gone now, and seems a distant memory to me. The collection started when I when I was young and my friends gave me teacups as birthday gifts. As life went on it became a “traditional” present for me to receive on special occasions— birthdays, showers and other milestones. All of the cups and saucers were made in England, and are treasures to me. Having received so may wonderful gifts over the years though, it is always a pleasure to share and pass those gifts along to friends and loved ones, who will appreciate them as much as I do.
As I was sending in my submission to Our Canada in February of last year, not long before the pandemic really began to take its toll here in Canada, I thought to myself, if the article is actually published, my sister Kiyoko will be so totally shocked and surprised to see her picture published in a “famous Canadian magazine.” She uses a walker, but her mind is very sharp—what a nice keepsake it will be for her l00th birthday in June 2021!