Psst…I have news.
I have been keeping a secret for a few months, and I’m thrilled to finally share it!
For the past year, I’ve been unsure about where to steer this blog. Like most things, the idea started in one place, then went somewhere else. It has felt “off” to me. I couldn’t quite see a vision for where I wanted to take it.
In a Cáithnín moment (more on Cáithnín in a moment), everything clicked into place.
If you’re a regular reader of this blog or follow my Instagram, you already know that I went on a profound journey while preserving my godmother’s 100-year-old poetry collection. I detailed the journey in Unlocking the Secrets: Exploring the Poetry Collection of a Loved One.
It was during my research that I discovered the word Cáithnín. This Irish word has given me more clarity and knowledge than the entire English Dictionary. (Okay, maybe that’s a slight exaggeration.)
Cáithnín | /ˈkaːhnʲɪnʲ/
To hear how this word is pronounced, Listen here.
Irish writer Manchán Magan beautifully defines Cáithnín in an article in the Irish Times.
“Cáithnín is another fine example of how a single word can unlock the hidden richness in our lives and landscape. It means a speck of dust, a husk of corn, a snowflake, a subatomic particle, and a minuscule smidge of butter, or anything tiny that gets into the eye and irritates it. But, most evocatively of all, it also means the goosebumps you feel in moments when you contemplate how everything is interrelated and how tiny we are in relation to the whole, like that feeling when you realise, or, maybe, remember, that we are all one – all unified. In this way, cáithnín, becomes like a koan or mantra – a single word that brings you right around the universe from the infinitesimal to the infinite. It becomes a reminder from our past about how we once related to our environment and community, and how we might do so again.”
How many times have you felt that? I feel it every time I explore an heirloom. It’s the speck of energy left by the ancestor who held the object before.
But now, it is the last line in his definition that has been calling out to me:
“It becomes a reminder from our past about how we once related to our environment and community, and how we might do so again.”
Now, more than ever, preserving and sharing our stories is crucial. Art and music programs are being defunded. Communities, both physical and cultural, are being dismantled. As a result, our collective history is being rewritten. Heirloom Explorer has always been about preserving stories. But I was feeling drawn to do more.
My Moment of Cáithnín!
When I saw that the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento, CA, was seeking docents, I felt another moment of “Cáithnín”. I have always felt the power of art to inspire thoughts, engage curiosity, and connect people. I knew this was the perfect opportunity to help people explore and preserve even more stories. Without hesitation, I applied and completed the training program.
I’ll still be exploring family heirlooms, but will expand to include art and artifacts from the museum, as well as other historical museums and societies. I’ll also be sharing some behind-the-scenes information, because who doesn’t want to know what really happens at museums once the doors are closed?
Being a docent is a marvelous intersection of my interests in California history, art, business, and storytelling. I want people to feel art, see themselves reflected in different times and places through art, and understand the significance of the arts to our well-being, culture, and ultimately, our souls.
I hope you enjoy this broader direction, and I hope it sparks little moments of Cáithnín with you.
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