D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 7 5 5 L’Esprit de L’Escalier adobe stock/stanislau Tiny Gifts A portfeuille cherished in childhood hold significance greater than the sum of its parts. By Rhea Côté Robbins T he portefeuille, or change purse, is imbued with the iconography of my life, tumbling through mem- ory like an ever-occurring dream weave. Larger than the humble item it represents– a repository for small change–its meaning and responsibility is writ large. As a child of six or seven, I was sent on a monthly er- rand in the neighborhood to pay the insur- ance premium for my mémère. I was giv- en the portefeuille with the payment and told, “Walk to Aunt Sadie’s, don’t lose the portefeuille, and get a receipt.” I was like the neighborhood Little Red Riding Hood with my portefeuille. Sadie was my great aunt. That black silk portefeuille became the life connection be- tween generations. Had I not been given the task, I’d never have personally met my great aunt. Small change or monumental event in the life of a child? The memory lingers. Pause to consider the small things: the gifts uncharted, unknown in their last- ing imprint and influence upon the young. How can such a small act give insight to such a large memory? In my entire life, portefeuille has meant so much more than just a coin purse. The icon speaks to a deeper, secret language of self. It becomes more than just another French word. There are memories and, more impor- tantly, stories attached to the small change purse of my life. n RheaCôtéRobbinsistheauthorof ‘downthePlains,’and editorofHeliotrope–FrenchHeritageWomenCreate.