My Grandmother’s Tears
It was one of those podcast things that I was listening to in the car. The interview was called ‘The Bookbinder's Luck’ and it was with Dominic Riley.
Part of the interview went like this.
A woman brought her bible in to be repaired and Dominic patiently explained the process of reparation.
“We can repair the pages, invisibly with Japanese paper, we can resow and bind the cover and when we get to the front cover itself, I can remove these stains.”
At this, the woman slammed her hand down on the counter. She was so angry with me and I didn’t know why.
And she said
“I don’t want you to touch those stains.
This is my grandmother’s book.
She died in the camps.
My mother survived and those are my grandmother’s tears.”
A few things to draw out of this very poignant and touching story.
Our bookbinder Dominic learnt on that day to ask a simple question.
‘Do these stains mean anything to you?’
It’s not hard and it doesn’t cost anything, but sensitivity and wisdom are a necessity. Always ask and be prepared to listen.
Secondly, what looks like a mess and might well be perceived as something to hide away and/or be discarded, can actually be priceless. Like the grandmother’s tears, it could be irreplaceable.
Finally, tears are an ethereal gift. They are authentic and beautiful. In the case of the family bible, they are all that the grandmother could offer her descendants. They came without cost, they are intimate and profoundly personal. Sometimes in life, they are all we have to offer. From the grandmother’s perspective, it may not have seemed like a lot, but from her family’s perspective… Those stains continue to be the symbol of overflowing and unending love.