To Keep the Blessing Coming In

Today I found myself rummaging into a small box of "things",  the type of box holding a number of random objects, of collected objects and treasures from the past, of pieces of our common history so random that it is almost impossible to organize them in a way or another, yet often not glorious enough to display. While giving the box an ultimate look before pushing it deeper into our storage room I found a mezuzah with its scroll, along with an old horseshoe. This modern and elegant brass mezuzah is the design of our friend Yaly, who is an Israeli jewelry maker and artisan.
The horseshoe is also a unique find. I discovered it in the grass, next to an the abandoned ruin of a hotel, in Trois-Pistoles. It was the summer prior to the final year of my architectural school degree, while I was exploring the area for a potential "site" for my thesis project.  While the decayed stone structure generated a number of dark legends in the region, finding the horseshoe was like finding a talisman, as if it provided me with light and luck to complete brilliantly my studies. (at least this is how it felt at the time!).
In any cases, both the horseshoe and the mezuzah deserve a better place than this old cardboard box. I pulled out my hammer and proceeded to install them on our front door. If in both tradition - jewish and western - hanging these objects might protect a house or bring it peace, I have no problem juxtaposing them here in ours. Double luck. The Chinese also have a symbol like that, they call it Double Happiness. I guess in the end we are all just the same,.