Ten minutes to write. Less time to read.

Collectibles have come into their own. I have a friend who collects penguins and another who likes unusual mugs. The penguin lady has hundreds of them, from greeting cards and room deodorizers. The mug lady has a dining room wall covered with hooks to hold her mugs. She believes in using her collection and lets you pick your mug when you come for coffee. I always choose the one with the Irish Blessing.

Then there’s my friend who likes books on war. They can be photo books or biographies or novels, just as along as they have war, any war, as their theme. Knowing how structured and rigid this person can be at times, I think maybe he is a frustrated military man who secretly lives out his personal dream of glory via the printed page. I once reminded him that the pen was mightier than the sword, and he laughed heartily at the irony.

I also have a friend who likes anything to do with frogs, a fellow free-lancer who fancies fountain pens, and a favorite aunt who owns many hand-stitched quilts. I’ve even slept under some of them, my favorite being the bridal wreath pattern that graces my cousin’s four poster bed.

I’ve read about people who collect thimbles, Waterford Christmas ornaments, or Winnie the Pooh memorabilia. I’ve read about others who collect authors or old instruments or postcards of faraway places.

The list of collectibles is endless, the number of collectors even more endless. What they have in common is a sense of satisfaction and pride in possessing something they view as special. Some collectors pour over their trove daily; others put a new acquisition on a shelf and let it go at that. But all of them feel good about it.

Although I’ve never seen it on any list of collectibles, what I treasure also makes me feel satisfied and proud. Happy and complete. When time permits, I reminisce about how I came by the particular object of my affection. I try not to take them for granted, although I’m sure I have. But the nicest thing about my collection is that it is interactive. I give and I get. It’s the ying and yang of collecting.

I collect good friends.