It's Not All About Buttons II

Right now many of us are putting together trays of buttons to take to Portland next month for display or competition.  Jerry DeHay shared the following story that reaffirms the fact that button collecting isn’t just about the buttons.

Jerry tells of a member of a local club who was stricken with a very aggressive cancer of the brain and died in a matter of weeks.  However, her incredibly positive and happy attitude during the ordeal inspired the club to do something that exemplifies what we appreciate and enjoy most about NBS - the wonderful friends we come to love.

Two members of the club learned from the woman’s daughter that she had been working on a tray right up to the time she was hospitalized and was really looking forward to entering state competition for the first time (she had not been collecting for many years).  They got together with the daughter and, using the buttons the woman had selected along with a few others, they completed the tray and entered it for her under her name.   You guess it – it won first place!
They managed to deliver the tray with the ribbon on it to the daughter who took it to the hospital and held it in front of her mom and told her she’d won.  Although having been mostly unconscious, she opened her eyes, looked at the tray and said “how did they do that?!” She smiled, closed her eyes and died only a couple of hours later.  Her daughter attended the next button club meeting to thank everyone for their prayers and support and especially for giving her mom a very special last moment of joy with her buttons.

When I was much younger, I couldn’t help noticing how many old people there were at button shows.  It made me think there must be something about collecting buttons that made people live a very long time.  After awhile I came to realize friendships are as important as the buttons themselves and people belong to clubs and travel to shows as much to see each other as to see buttons.  In spite of the convenience of instant communication, there’s still nothing better than a hug from a button friend.  It’s my hope, if you don’t already belong, you will seek out (or form) a local button club and become involved not only there but at the state and national level, also.  The rewards are lifelong.  Remember, NBS is celebrating 75 years of friendship next year.

This will be my last post before I retire as NBS President.  The Board is meeting the challenge concerning membership benefits and retention head-on.  As long as there are bonds of friendship along with the continued willingness of members to devote time and talents to strengthen the Society, NBS will flourish at least another 75 years.