On giving brass
why the thing that tarnishes is the thing that lasts
Brass is the only metal that keeps a diary. Silver forgets — polish it and it is new again. Glass has no memory at all. But a brass tray darkens exactly where it has been held, and brightens exactly where it has been used, and after a few years it looks like the family that owns it.
That is why we give it. A brass tray is not a thing. It is the thing the diyas sit on every Diwali, and the thing someone will argue over, lovingly, when the house is divided. It is given once and kept for a generation.
If you want it to shine, buff it with a dry cloth. If you want it to be loved, leave it alone.
with love,Sudha
What to write on the card — four lines that are better than “best wishes”
Pink against green — the two colours of a Rasa gift, and why they never touch
See the collection