DEP PHOTOGRAPHY COLUMN
What Do Mothers and Elephants Have in Common?
In response to Dancing Elephants Photography January Prompt — Elephants
I love elephants, gray sags and all. How can you not bow to their power born of immensity? If elephants bring luck, I’m forever grateful for their presence. So, what do mothers and elephants have in common? Neither of them ever forgets.
I’m not much of an organized collector. Once in my youth, I collected hockey cards given out freely at the local gas station, but overall, if you scouted my home, you’d decide I’m more a collector of dust, useless paperwork, or things I might one day find a use for.
One day in my thirties, during troubled emotional times, I thought of bringing positivity into my life. I was tired of too many depressing thoughts and was ready for some light. I had heard somewhere that elephants symbolized good fortune, and I could use some of that, so I bought a statue. The subject stood with his trunk curled upward, a sign of good luck.
Over the years, I bought a few more statues until I had a mini collection. It wasn’t anything I had planned, but in my search for peace and fortune, elephants found me. They had a way of making me smile.
And then one winter, I traveled by cruise with my family, from seaport to seaport. One of our stops was Puerto Rico. I remember entering the busy shop with my three children and cruising the aisles of shot glasses, t-shirts, and all things one might describe as souvenirs. It wasn’t easy to choose only one to remind me of our first visit to this foreign country.
As each of us eyed the shelves, my youngest, at five years old, made her request.
“Mom, I want to buy something. I want to go myself, and I’ll be right back.”
She surprised me. I had given each child money to pick a memento and hadn’t considered one of them would be so bold as to do so independently. So, I accepted. After sending her off with her siblings down the aisle where I could still see her, I shielded myself from watching what she chose. After all, her surprise find was to be a surprise.
After she paid, she returned to me and handed me my elephant statue. The one with a gold plate inscribed Puerto Rico and a painted ceramic elephant atop its wooden base.
“I know how much you love elephants,” Brianna said as she handed me her purchase.
Surprised I was. I stared at the beautiful animal with the trunk raised high in the air, and gratitude overcame me. I was thankful for the statue, for the addition to my collection, but mostly for my daughter, who put me above herself. And at such a young age, I knew I must be doing something right.
Today, my elephant sits high on my shelf as proudly as the first time I brought it home. With one tusk broken and the nameplate lost, it is a little worse for wear, but it still serves its purpose: to bring luck to my life through joyous memories of a vacation and the little girl who chose my happiness above all else.
While I’ve never been to Africa, I have been to a theme park that offered elephant rides, and it blessed me with the opportunity to ride one of these magnificent creatures. Although it was a long time ago, I’ve never experienced the thrill of riding that high with such ease as I’ve always loved the union of animals and humans. This ride was no different. From memory, the beast thrust me from side to side as he walked, quite different from horseback riding, which moved me back and forth in the saddle. It was quite a treat to share with my daughter and son.
As I took this picture of Brianna’s gift, I noticed my collection of elephants was gone. Through all the moves over the years, I suppose it got tossed into the pile of non-essentials. Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles eloquently shared the meaning of the trunk resting up or down, both in a positive light. So, if I ever start a new collection, I won’t be so hasty in limiting myself to trunks that rise. But regardless of future statues, none will ever compare to this one on my shelf because just as elephants never forget, neither will I.
Thank you, Vidya, for this prompt. What a beautiful start to Dancing Elephants Press’ new photography column.