Friday, August 6, 2010
FF: For Keeps
I'm fascinated by the little details of peoples' lives - bedtime routine, breakfast preferences, pet peeves, daily rituals...it's all quite indicative and fascinating to me.
I am also intrigued by the things people hang on to, the way seemingly insignificant things take on great meaning.
In my purse I have a small, folded piece of paper from Plano Florist. I've been carrying it for two years now. It was delivered to my door in a beautiful bouquet of fresh flowers just after I gave birth to Lily. It says:
I'm confident our first granddaughter will bring us as much joy as her mother. I'm proud of you. Love, Dad
My dad's not an overly-demonstrative fellow; I like carrying a little reminder of his affection with me. In all my purse purging, I've never been able to part with it. I can't imagine I ever will (on purpose, anyway).
Other things I can't get rid of:
the blankie I slept with for the first 20 years of my life
the anthologies from my college lit courses, the papers I wrote in my freshman writing class and all the notes I took in my church history class
the license plates from my first car
2 photos that would have gone out with the wedding announcements had I not called off my first engagement
What are you holding on to?
Are there things you wish you would have saved but didn't?
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13 comments:
I still have my baby blanket too. I took it with me to the hospital when I had the Nub.
I have a box full of sentiments that I hold onto, the letters my dad wrote me in high school, the cards my mom sent on random occasions, love letters from my husband, that sort of thing. Sometimes when I'm cleaning I open the box and sit reading them for a long time.
Another thing that I've held onto that's a little odd perhaps is the pregnancy tests, hospital papers and bills and cards family and friends sent after my 2 miscarriages. I don't know why I hold onto bills but I do. Maybe as proof that that really happened, there there was a beginning of something before it ended.
This is funny, I just cleaned out my wallet last night and found a little note that Matt wrote about 5 years ago. One morning I woke up and he had written "I love you" on about 50 tiny pieces of paper. They were scattered all over the house. In the panty, my wallet, the bathroom drawers etc. He's not an overly romantic type, so this little thing meant a lot to me. I can't throw that little piece of paper away.
I also have notes from several college classes that I just know will come in handy one day, pregnancy tests (which Matt thinks is totally disgusting), old love letters and poems from HS boyfriends etc. I just feel like it's part of my history, I can't just throw away part of my life. Such a fun question Em. :)
HAHAHA! I just re-read my comment (I really did proof it before I hit publish), but I said Matt hid the notes in the panty! It was the PANTRY, not the PANTY!! I seriously hate the word panty. Ahh! :)
I've kept all my notes from my IB Music class in high school, my college lit anthologies (amen, Em!), letters my grandparents and parents wrote me all through my childhood, a really huge ugly medal from my IB Diploma, etc.
The thing I've been carrying around longest is a rag doll I've had ever since I was 10 months old, at which point she was probably bigger than me--her name is Marthy and I loved her to pieces when I was a little girl. I slept with her all through college, she's beloved by another generation (my girls) now.
I keep a few of my children's baby outfits...my favorite ones that I want them to pass on. I keep too many things. The process of moving is helping me to re-evaluate what we really need to hold on to.
I've kept the hospital bands my babies wore. Reminds me how tiny they were. Have my baby blanket too. So ragged and ugly now. I've kept the schedule (injections, appointments, dosages) I followed from when I did in vitro... proof I tried, I guess. Love notes from Mark, a seriously treasured item since I don't get very many. The fake ring Mark proposed with. The extra buttons that come with clothes, half or more of which I don't own anymore, but I can't throw away the buttons. I have an old Rick College box downstairs full of stuff from my past, not sure what's in there.
fun question em
I've kept my children's smallest baby outfit so they can see how little they were.
One thing I held onto for years was the first flower my husband ever gave me when we were dating in college. My daughter found it though when she was 2 and was so intrigued with it she couldn't leave it alone and crushed it :(
I love that you're fascinated with this - as I am too - I love, love LOVE learning about people's lives and what their daily hours are filled with.
I have a blanket that I sleep with every night. I have a rose that fell off of my brother's casket that I am convinced he wanted me to have. I have his tape decks and comic books because I can't bring myself to get rid of them.
I keep a stone in my coin purse that says, "I am the bread of life, he who comes to me will never go hungry" for days when I have no money to spend and all sorts of wants -- its my humble reminder to give thanks.
I keep small boxes filled with cards and letters from friends & loved ones 'just because' -- so that when I am feeling lonely - I can read them and be reminded of how very fortunate I genuinely am.
My favorite of all is my ziplock baggie of letters my mom used to write to me the year before she died when she was away studying for her masters degree. I found them this year, & totally had forgotten that I had even saved them! I cherish those letters/notes more now than ever before.
Thanks for a lovely, sentimental morning post!
Love letters from old boyfriends. Definitely the love letters. Ha ha! I wish I had the ones I wrote too... at least I hope they threw theirs out like I did mine.
I have a few items of clothing from each of my babies. They are pieces that, when I was getting rid of things, induced actual physical reactions. Not only the visual remembrances, but I could feel myself holding baby in that outfit. There were a few tears each time, and somehow, holding on to these items were a must. Luckily there are Space Bags, so the items I've saved don't take up a lot of room. I'm hoping my grand babies can one day use these things. :D
I'm DYING to see the engagement photos!?!?! :)
I kept my placenta in my freezer for a year. Is that weird?! haha.
Things I have kept-
Little notes and cards from the hubby. My babies "coming home" outfits, a baby bib for the baby I miscarried. An old cd that a past boyfriend made me with dedicated songs. He had recorded his voice before each song telling me why the song reminded him of me.
I should get rid of-
Old magazines, shoes, my skinny skinny clothes that will probably be out of style by the time I am that skinny skinny again (sigh)
I've held onto a lot of things, but the one that comes to mind is a note from my sister in the 1st book of Nephi in my Book of Mormon. She borrowed them for a talk she was giving in church and basically highlighted the whole story of the first vision. She thanks me for letting her use my scriptures and tells me that she loves me. I will never throw that away and I think that is another reason why I continue to hold on to those same scriptures instead of getting a new copy.
Thanks for this post! It's nice to think about those things you just can't throw away!
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