The Mug That Started It All

My parents shared a hobby. Or, more precisely, my Mum had a hobby and my Dad supported her in it. They collected blue and white crockery together, mostly from second hand stores. 

I think it started with a gravy boat they were given as a wedding present but it may also have been a special plate that Mum received as a thank you gift. Whatever sparked a love of Delft, Willow and Chinese blue and white - it led to several years of happy expeditions and eventually shelves heaving with their precious finds.

The next step in the hobby maturation phase would have been displaying their trove on purpose built shelves so they could admire each one. But it wasn't to be. 

Some twenty years after Mum succumbed to cancer at 65, Dad still had remnants of their blue and white adventures around his home. 

After Mum had gone, once a week my Dad and I would have a coffee catch-up. He'd drive over to me most weeks - until a few years ago when my husband and I moved islands (from north to south of Aotearoa New Zealand).

It was hard to make that move.  I missed my Dad, especially our weekly catch-ups.

A few years late, on a visit to see him, just before Dad was about to move house for the last time, he asked me if there was anything of his I would like to have. We were standing in the semi-dark of the garage in front of a shelf of white and blue.  A lump swelled in my throat as I considered what to choose. Behind the plates, I spied a mug that I'd always admired. It reminded me of  my parents and some of the fun they had together.. 

A few days later, as I was placing the mug in my kitchen cupboard, I had an idea! What if Dad and I kept our coffee dates over the phone. I don't know why I'd never thought of that before. Sometimes the simplest solutions are not always the most obvious. 

So, every week, I'd phone Dad and we'd catch-up over coffee.  We'd talk about nothing much and everything besides. He with his mug and I with  mine. 

We did that each week, until 18 November 2024.

Since then, Mondays at 11am, I make coffee in our mug and think of my Dad. 

Just like I did today - the 8 June, 2026 - when I took this photo.