The Things I have carried

I use the Day One journal app on my phone to keep track of my favorite things. I snap a photo and make an entry of what it is, where it came from, and why I have kept it, in case anyone ever wonders what I was thinking. There is no rhyme or reason to these items.Some things I keep for sentimental reasons – like my fathers dried out Parker fountain pen from the 60s. I keep it because it is something he touched when he was alive. The same is probably true of my mother’s tarnished stamp box. I keep some furnishings for the same reason. A mirror that can be seen in the background if their wedding cake cutting photo and stuff like that.

Other things just make me smile or remind me of a happy memory.

Case in point, is this whale mug. My mother in law gave us a pair in the 80s when we built our beach cottage. They were always my favorites.. I especially loved the whale tail handle. In the morning, I would sit on the porch and watch the sun rise out if the sea, with this mug filled with fresh coffee nestled between my hands. All these years later, I haven’t found a better way to start my day.I use to tuck them away in the owners closet when we rented so they wouldn’t break or grow legs or disappear. When we eventually moved, I packed them up and put them in the basement and forgot about them. That chapter of my life was over. I found myself wondering what had happened to them from time to time, but just figured they had gotten lost during a move.

When my cousin bought a house in Maine a few years ago, I encouraged to ” go shopping ” in my basement where I had so much kitchen and tableware stored for who knows what. She took me up on my offer and I gladly waved goodbye to boxes of stuff I no longer needed or had room for.Last month, I went to visit her in Maine, and discovered my long lost whales in her cupboard !. They must have been among the boxes of stuff I gave her. It was like seeing an old friend. She let me take one home. Hopefully, I will keep track of it better this time.

Thank you for second chances

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