The Peach Pit Monkey

One of the nicest memories of things I remember my father doing for me was when he arranged to get me a peach pit monkey. He knew a fellow at work that carved them as a hobby. So we patiently went through the summer peach season looking for as good and as big a peach pit as we could find. 

After making my selection, he took it a away and a few weeks later appeared my very own peach pit monkey.

The peach pit monkey seems to be a folk art staple item, hand carved from a dried peach pit. In order to hold its integrity the monkey is carved holding its tail, as shown below.

I really wish I had my actual piece to display. If you search you will find several examples online, but almost all are rather crude compared to the one I had. Mine was carved and sanded to smooth graceful lines and the head was a very proportioned shape. I kept it on a key chain and over time it developed the most beautiful burnished mahogany patina.

As an adult I came to a place where I saw that I had ventured very far from home, from my heart. In a heart swelling gesture of longing for times gone by I telephoned my parents. I said to my mother, "I want my peach pit monkey." Instinctively she heard the call of my heart. "Oh, honey," she said in the most dear and tender way. "Your father is just coming home with the groceries, I'll let him talk to you too." Tears come on retelling this. To reconnect to the love bond between a child and parents is a blessing.

Alas, the peach pit monkey disappeared from memory. Yet, the heart's treasures which things like that can only represent anyway are stored safe away always at hand.