Buttons ... a collection that's hard to let go

Buttoned Up
When I pulled out my sewing supplies last Saturday, they were a jumbled mess of fabric, thread, tools, scissors, and pins randomly packed in boxes and bins. Embarrassing, really.

So with a button-load of patience, I focused and was able to stack and separate the good from the bad. Toss things that were broken, and put like items together in proper order. But I couldn't part with the buttons.

They're colorful. Cheerful even. Like little gems.

And with some of them, I remember the piece of clothing they were once stitched to. Like that yellow button in the middle. It was from a wrap-around skirt I had in high school. A floral Madras print. It was comfortable, and I thought, very stylish. When I wore it down to its last fiber, I cut off the buttons and saved them.

The button jar is a small jar. I keep it and most of the buttons because I think I might use them again. Maybe, maybe not.

Is there something you collect or save that you can't part with? What is it?