Joseph’s father was a tailor and as a young boy Joseph would spend days in his father’s shop, learning how to cut and sew cloth. After some time, Joseph dreamed of a coat he would like to make for himself. He planned just how it would look and what fabrics he would use. He saved up the money he earned from working in his father’s shop. Finally, after many years, he had enough money to buy the fabric he wanted.

When Joseph had the cloth he wanted, he worked on his coat. He spent many nights measuring, cutting, sewing, and pressing, until his fine coat was finished. Joseph was so proud of his coat, he rushed to show it his father. His father looked at every stitch of the coat, smiled and said, “Well done Joseph, you have become a fine tailor”.

Joseph loved his coat very much and wore it through the long, cold winters. The coat kept him very warm. Years passed and one winter, while walking through the snowy marketplace, Joseph saw a woman shivering with only a thin shawl to keep out the cold. Joseph went to her and offered her his coat to keep her warm. He slowly walked her home, talking all the way. Sara was about his age, and Joseph learned they had a lot in common. Two years later they were married.

Joseph opened his own tailor’s shop in the house he shared with his new wife. Winters passed and he always wore his coat. Joseph wore his favorite coat until it was very worn out. One day he picked it up and said sadly to Sara, “This old coat has been so special to me. It was my dream to make it and it also made my father so proud. All those years ago it also helped me to meet you. But now there is nothing left”.

Then Joseph had an idea and looked at his coat very closely. He realized that he had enough left of his favorite coat to make something special. He rushed into the shop and began cutting and sewing. Early the next morning he appeared wearing a jacket, made from the fabric of his old coat.

Joseph loved the jacket greatly, and he wore it often. Time passed and Sara gave birth to two little girls. The following winter, when Joseph saw the first snowflakes start to fall, he rushed outside with his two daughters tucked under his jacket. Together they all played in the falling snow, laughing as the snowflakes landed on their noses and cheeks.

Joseph continued to wear his coat for many years, until Sara noticed that it was looking a bit worn out. Joseph looked sadly at the beloved jacket, “I will never forget how this jacket kept us warm while the twins and I danced together in the first snow.” With a sigh, Joseph looked at his worn-out jacket and then he realized that there was just enough fabric to do something with.

Joseph rushed to the shop. He cut and sewed the fabric from the jacket until he emerged with a neat little cap. It looked so special, he wore it nearly every day.

Years passed and hard times fell on Joseph’s family. They had very little money for food. One day, while walking in the woods, they came across a brier of blackberries. The berries looked so juicy and sweet. They wanted to bring some home with them, but they had nothing to put them in. Then Joseph had an idea and took off his cap and together the family filled it to the brim with blackberries. Back home they made a delicious blackberry pie and at dinner time they enjoyed every bite.

Joseph’s daughters grew up and his cap became threadbare. One day he looked at the treasured cap and saw that it was all worn out and it was beyond repair. Joseph looked at his cap for a long time and then rushed into the shop. He began cutting and sewing. Hours later he emerged wearing a bowtie, made from the fabric he saved from his beloved cap.

Joseph wore his bowtie everywhere. He wore it to his daughters’ weddings. He wore it when he held his first grandchild. When his granddaughter was old enough to talk, she sat on his knee and played with the bowtie. She asked, “Grandpa, do you have a butterfly on your shirt?” He then took off the bowtie and pretended it was a butterfly every time he saw his granddaughter.

One day, when Joseph’s hair was gray, he returned home from the market and Sara asked him “where is your bow-tie?”. He felt his neck, but the bowtie was not there. He quickly retraced his steps through the market but try as he could he did not fine the bowtie. Sadly, Joseph returned to his house and went to bed without eating any dinner.

The next morning Joseph refused to get out of bed. He just felt so sad without the bowtie. “What’s the use? The cloth I loved so much is gone. It has been with me for so many years but now there is nothing left. Nothing! I have lost so many dear memories.”

Sara quietly left the house and went to visit their daughters. She returned with the grandchildren, who plopped themselves on their grandpa’s bed. But he looked sadly at them, saying “I cannot play today, I am just too sad”.

His daughter turned to him and asked, “Can you please tell us one of the stories about the cloth? Your grandchildren do not know the stories.”

“Oh, but it is too sad”, he answered.

The children begged and eventually he gave in. He told them of how he worked so hard to save the money he had needed to buy the cloth. He told them of how the coat he had made was so smart and warm. Of how the coat had helped him to meet his beloved wife He told them of how it had kept his daughter’s warm while they danced in the falling snow. He told them of the cap full of berries that they had picked. As he recalled the many memories, they brought a smile to his face.

“Grandpa, you made the bow-tie into a butterfly. Maybe it flew away” his granddaughter said to him with a smile.

Joseph sighed and gave her a hug. “Yes, it seems it did fly away. But you have helped me to realize that the memories have not flown away. They will be with me always. There are just enough memories to make a story and that will be with us forever if you will help me to keep it safe”. Joseph hugged his family and got out of bed.

There are many memories and stories throughout life. Share those memories and stories so they can come alive with each retelling. If the stories are not shared, they will be lost.

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation. (Joel 1:3)

Rachmiel Tobesman is a motivational speaker and Maggid (spiritual Storyteller). He is available for speaking engagements or storytelling, Click here to contact us

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