Bringing Home the Birkin

There is a book called "Bringing Home the Birkin" (by Michael Tonello).

In it, Mr. Tonello recounts his adventures that begin when he takes a job in Italy, moves there and has the job fall through. He is left stranded and desperate for money.

Mr. Tonello happened to have some very expensive and fashionable clothing, such as Hermes scarves and he began to put them on ebay. Surprise, surprise they sold. And thus was born his business of tracking down accessories all over Europe to place on Ebay that otherwise, the high fashion minded, could not get.

One of the items is the highly coveted Birkin Bag. These handbags can sell for 35 to 40,000 dollars. There is usually a 3 year waiting list. Mr. Tonello figures out the secret to acquiring the bags and his career takes off. He can get a Birkin at anytime, anywhere when no one else came.

Mr. Tonello's mother then became terminally ill. He was preparing to fly back to the States to visit her but became determined that the one thing he could do for her was to bring her one of these bags.

As a gift.

An offering.

And for the first time, no matter what he did, there were no Birkins to be had.

When, he felt he needed one most, when it counted, there were none.

Then it began to occur to him, dimly at first, that for his mother a Birkin Bag meant nothing. It did not matter how many celebrities were desperate to get one. Or what people would think if they saw her with one.

The Bag, in the end, was nothing and meant nothing.

Her son, meant everything.

So Mr. Tonello left his business and flew home to be with her.

While death or the nearness of death brings to many an awareness of the beauty, grace and importance of life - wouldn't it be nice to discover these things while we still had the full strength of life and companionship available to us?