Date: 04/06/2026
All Rights Reserved by the Author
“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” — Robert Brault
A cabinet full of cups stood in the kitchen.
Some were newer.
Some were more expensive.
A few had elegant designs.
Yet every morning, an old man reached for the same faded coffee mug.
Its handle had been repaired years ago. The colour had nearly disappeared. It would never attract attention in a shop.
When asked why he kept using it, he smiled.
“My daughter gave it to me when she was ten.”
That was all.
The mug no longer held only coffee.
It held a memory.
Objects often survive longer than moments. They become quiet custodians of birthdays, conversations and ordinary afternoons that would otherwise be forgotten.
Perhaps that is why people keep old photographs, worn books and handwritten notes.
Not because of what they are.
Because of what they carry.
The world encourages us to replace things constantly.
Yet some possessions earn the right to stay.
Not through usefulness.
Through affection.
And sometimes a faded coffee mug contains more wealth than anything displayed in a store window.
Rajat Chandra Sarmah
Guwahati, Assam, India
email: rajatchandrasarmah@gmail.com
youtube: conversewithasmile
musingofrajat.wordpress.com 