Memories of Buttons

“I was often the only child in the group…whether my mother was visiting a friend in town or a family member in Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, or California. It took very little time for me to become bored with looking at things I could not touch.

What amazes me now is that when I posed this question, “Can I see your buttons?” the hostess always knew what I wanted, that was to see her button box or jar.

I used the buttons to make room layouts on carpets, arranged them by color or material, made abstract designs, and often counted the pieces in my different divisions.

The first person I remember giving me buttons to keep is the wife of my mother’s cousin in Vicksburg, Mississippi. For some reason I remember several details of that trip, made when I was eight years old; but sadly, I do not remember exactly which buttons I was given, only that they were glass. I remember opening and closing my white pique purse with the drawstring closure many times when we first left to see if they were indeed mine and still there.

I also remember that I already had a few buttons of my own, but I think that marked the beginning of my collection. That’s when I began talking about “my buttons.” After that, Mother’s friends began to say, “Before you go, you can choose a button to take with you.” Wow, those were powerful words to me!”

Sharron White
Ozark Foothills Button Show Event Chair