Connection, that’s the theme of the day. Most people might think of interpersonal connections, how those seem to be eroding away via the technology that substitutes for face-to-face interactions. Others ponder bridges, both those that transverse water and the fragile ties of a spider’s web, the stitches that keep flesh from parting after surgery, or the nebulous sense of spirits after death. But there’s one connection that rarely appears these days, except on men’s shirts: buttons, an ancient way of keeping folds of cloth connected. Swaddling the body, muting the shock of cold air, rain, thorns, lessening the touch of nature on the skin. Buttons play that role, connecting and disconnecting.