Buttons.... tons and tons of buttons.

As a grown up, I realize that through the course of life I have learned many valuable lessons. Some of them were taught to me by my mom and dad. Others I learned in school and through experience. Many of them were taught to me by my aunts. Now, I am an aunt and my oldest neice recently started kindergarten. I know that they say everything you need to know you learn in kindergarten, but I disagree. I believe that there are some things one cannot learn in a classroom. These are things that can only be learned by living. So, here it is. A year's worth of tiny words of wisdom for all of the neices and nephews out there, or really for anyone who will listen. They may not work for everybody and you may not agree with all of them, but each one is a rule that I either try to live by or wish I did.

#6 If you see a button on the ground, pick it up. Collect them.

I can't take full credit for this one, but I firmly stand by it. This one comes from a combination of my grandmother, my lovely roommate, and the boy he met in Scotland.
My grandmother always had a jar or two full of buttons. She grew up in the south, during the Great Depression when everyone was saving everything. If a button popped off of any of her clothes, she would pour out the jars and search until she found one close enough. I was always fascinated by these beautiful buttons. All different colors, shapes, textures. I loved pouring out those buttons and looking at each one as I put it back in the jar.
Last summer, my roommate met a boy in Scotland. This boy told him that he collected buttons. If he sees one on the street, he picks it up. Every button that he has in his jar represents a moment of peace or happiness. Everytime he has a bad day, he pours out his buttons and counts those moment of peace and happiness.
I think this is so beautiful. Since then my roommate and I have adopted this pastime. Now I have a jelly jar full of buttons in my windowseal. If I buy something that comes with an extra button, I drop it in the jar. If I see a button on the street, which happens more often than you would think, I pick it up, bring it home and drop it in the jar.
Buttons are good for lifting spirits and also, you never know when you might need a button.