There’s a story behind the mug sitting on my desk at work. It was a gift from someone that I rarely see. And it was an awkward time when we were last together because it had been so long between gatherings. It felt like being in the same space as a stranger, but in fact they were family.

There’s also a story behind the Keurig tea sitting on top of it. It was placed there by someone who is much newer in my life. I do not know much of their story, but I know that they have a loving heart for every one at work. I feel like I could fit in at their Thanksgiving table with ease.

I’m actually not going to share either of these stories, or write more about the people behind them because those aren’t the point right now. The point is that little tokens in our lives can hold stories much more grand than their size. The ring that represents a loved one. The bag that has been around since college. The blanket that used to be part of naps at daycare. Treasures with value that could never be listed on a bank statement.

That yellow mug reminds me to pray for someone I have not seen for a long while, and I do not know when I’ll see them again. When I fill it with tea, I hold onto the warmth of loved ones near and far. I am grateful for the ways our stories connect and the tokens sometimes left behind.

“We are the spark, that will light the fire that’ll burn the First Order down” (Poe Dameron, Star Wars: The Last Jedi). – #52sparks is my year-long writing series for 2020, based on an art prompt challenge. The spark that lights a fire to toast a marshmallow or to ravage a forest begins in the space of an inch. This series is to explore what hundreds of inches and words can do.