Oh, the stories I've heard from folks around the world who buy art and antiques from my online shop here in Holland! The most charming stories and thank-you notes arrive in my mailbox, connecting American buyers and their stories to me in Holland and to the very long line of history each antique piece carries. Stories come of European heritage, their or their ancestors' emigration out of Europe, and experiences of lives lived in a new country.
One such story arrived today from Texas, where Suzan and her son have just moved from Europe. Suzan has ordered a remarkable 5" Dutch key from the 1700s from my online shop. Her son, having learned the American stories of Santa Claus climbing down the chimney to fill stockings and deliver Christmas presents, has become increasingly concerned as time grows nearer to Christmas Eve. You see, their new home doesn't have a chimney...
To ease the little boy's worry, Suzan has put this old key, its scratches and rust begging to tell its own long history, at their back door for Santa to enter on Christmas Eve. It's Santa's secret key, so shhhhhhhhhh! Please don't tell a soul!
This is a beautiful story!
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