Not being a really sentimental person, I treasure very few materialist things. If you have been to my home you know that I don't have a lot of stuff. Not too many "trinkets" or shelves of stuff I just don't keep it around.
While cleaning today I was reminded of some things that I treasure not because of their value but because they helped shaped who I am and appreciate what I have. I smile every time I pass my spare room and see my Great Aunt Eileen's mystery jar, the photo of me and Grandpa Rudy dancing at my wedding, and a Raphael bracelet the great Canadian author Nora Keeling gave to me.
I left for Paris, France that summer and before I left I called Nora to share in my excitement. She asked me to her house and gave me some books, letters and even some French Francs to take with me. She asked that I visit some of her friends and drop letters off for her. I remember how proud I was in Paris calling her friends and having tea with them to hear their stories of writing, Nora and life in France. Nora died in 2008 and I never had the chance to reconnect with her and tell her that I now have a big collection of Raphael jewelry that I have enjoyed collecting since that lunch in 1986. I wish I could share with her how much I appreciate that bracelet, how it made me feel, and what that thoughtful gesture did for this tomboy.
I love photos. I was a Creative Memory consultant for many years and enjoy making scrapbooks and preserving photos. We have a lot of photos in our house and many scrapbooks of events, people and trips. The one photo on my shelf that I adore is one of me and my grandpa dancing at my wedding in 1993.
He was so handsome that day in his grey suit and I giggle knowing that my grandma Hetty would have made him make sure his tie was straight and hankie was folded just right. I am so happy that I have a video from our wedding so that I can hear all my grandparent's voices long after they have passed on and re watch me and my grandpa dancing a waltz.
The cottage had 2 bedrooms, a washroom (no running water), a kitchen (with running water that you had to hook up each year) and a family room. No phone, 1 channel on the TV and the main mode of communication was the radio. It is the place where my cousins and I all learned to play Euchre, Scrabble, cribbage and do crossword puzzles. It was the place where you went annually with your friends to chill out, where I got engaged, knee boarded for the first time and saw my first bear.
I would not run back into a burning house to retrieve these items because I am already grateful for their memories that I treasure.
What do you treasure?