"Tomorrow," said Toad.
"Tomorrow," said Toad.
"Tomorrow!" cried Toad.
And then he got up anyway.
Frog and Toad
Arnold Lobel published the first Frog and Toad book in 1970 and the four that followed became something that children's literature very rarely produces, stories that are genuinely funny and genuinely true at the same time, that take the small difficulties of being alive as seriously as they deserve to be taken, and that somehow make you feel less alone in all of it. Lobel once said that Frog and Toad were two aspects of himself. Anyone who has ever pulled the covers over their head and said tomorrow understands which one.
The story called Tomorrow appears in Days with Frog and Toad, published in 1979. In it, Toad wakes up overwhelmed by everything that needs doing and decides to do none of it. Frog comes to the window and lists the dishes and the dust and the plants and the windows, and Toad says tomorrow to every single one of them until the weight of tomorrow becomes heavier than the work itself. And then, one small thing at a time, he gets up. He picks up his jacket. He washes his dishes. He waters his plants. And by the end he does not feel miserable anymore, not because everything is perfect, but because he did the small things, and the small things turned out to matter.
Some days that is the whole lesson. Get up. Water something. See how you feel.
The Piece
Toad is standing at his flower pot on the wood floor of his little house, tending to his plant with the focused attention of someone who has decided that this one small thing is within his power right now. He is wearing his striped pajamas, rendered in careful relief so every fold of fabric and every toe of his webbed feet reads clearly. The wood floor beneath him is textured plank by plank, the wall behind him built up in layers. In the upper left corner of the scene, the clock keeps ticking the time.
The oval scene sits at the center of a sterling silver open cuff bracelet, the band polished and simple so that everything your eye wants to look at is Toad and his plant. The bracelet was made with an open back so you can slip it onto your wrist and size it to fit on the first wearing. Once fitted it will go on and off easily without needing to be adjusted again. The band measures approximately 6.5 inches long with a one inch open gap at the back to fit a range of wrist sizes. Please measure your wrist before ordering to make sure it will fit comfortably.
The Craftsmanship
- Bracelet face: approximately 1.75 inches wide by 1.5 inches tall
- Material: sterling silver throughout, oxidized
- Band: approximately 6.5 inches with 1 inch open gap, open cuff style
- Fit: size on first wearing, removes and replaces easily after
- Edition: one of a kind
One of a Kind
There is only one of this bracelet in the world. When it finds its person it will never be made again exactly like this.
A Note from Tamara
I made this bracelet as a reminder, mostly to myself, that the glimmers matter. Not the big enormous things that make you feel whole, though those matter too, but the small ones. The houseplant you remembered to water. The dish you washed. The jacket you picked up off the floor. On the days when tomorrow feels like a wall, those tiny things are the door. Toad knows this now. He had to learn it the hard way, under the covers with Frog listing everything from the window, but he got there. He always gets there. I hope whoever wears this bracelet feels him on their wrist on the hard days, kneeling at his flower pot, doing the one small thing that leads to the next one. Water your plants. Tend to yourself. Those are the same thing.
Shipping
Your Toad is finished, packaged safely, and will be on his way to you within 3 to 5 business days.