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My mom used to collect them.
She’d find them at garage sales, estate sales, antique stores. Embroidered, tatted, crocheted pieces of art with just enough room to blow your nose once or twice or stop a tear or two. They could be found throughout our home in drawers, purses, pockets – always at the ready in case of need.
My dad, whose preference ran to large red or blue bandanas with lots of room and no lace, designed and created the wooden boxes that held my mother’s collection, one box per child filled with handkerchiefs.
My parents modeled constant and appropriate use of handkerchiefs as part of daily living.
That’s why, the first several times I saw people sneeze and cough into their elbows, I wondered what they were doing and why. I began to see it often, in meetings, social gatherings, restaurants. What, I wondered, is going on. Have I missed some fine point of etiquette? What happened to handkerchiefs?
Possible reasons for their demise include:
Handkerchiefs fell out of favor with busy mothers and fathers who no longer purchased, washed, ironed, or modeled their use;
Tissues came into currency, were quicker, easier, and, some would say, more sanitary;
Health officials began advising us that sneezing, coughing (and blowing?) into our sleeves was preferable to our hands or the air we all breathe.
For me, the legacy lives on. My handkerchief box lives in my top dresser drawer and brings a smile every time I retrieve one for pocket or purse.
Thanks, mom and dad, for the memories. |
