The other day I stumbled downstairs to (horror of horrors) clean the storage room.
A simple project that would take time
fairly straightforward, I purposed to get rid of some of the clutter
when I came upon a box
battered, bent and frayed
why did I keep this?
atumble with a chaos of years in paper
Mother's Day cards, pictures, receipts, tax reports, bills...
Memories
do you remember?
angry words
"I'm sorry"
cherished hugs
"to the best Mom in the world"
independence
The defendant would like to change her name
a new job
"Congratulations, we'll miss you!"
treasured friendships
"I want us to stay in touch. I'll call..."
laughter
a miniature wooden cow
love's first blush
"always yours, ..."
a collage of a lifetime
in need of sorting and filing
culling and sifting
throwing away
storing
a lifetime of memories
in a box.
T.S. Eliot
For last year's words belong to last year's language and next year's words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning.
The past is not a package one can lay away. ~Emily Dickinson
ReplyDeleteI love discoveries like this one. The memories are so much more powerful this way somehow; I think, for having been forgotten.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun surprise. I like when things like that happen. Of course, things don't get cleaned, but really cleaning can always wait.
ReplyDeleteLovely poem Ms. Danette.
ReplyDeleteHow lovely to find it, even if it was in chaos! It's amazing what can trigger those memories :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a great box of lovely memories!
ReplyDeleteI like the new look of your blog too.
Hi, Danette,
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year sweetie... I know, I haven't dropped by in ages. Life got out of had for me, but now its somewhat calm.
First, as always, your photos are AMAZING! I honestly think you should publish a book with them and your writing. Give us a delicious DOUBLE treat to your talents.
Second, the T. S. Elliot quote is PERFECT.
I wish I could come up with something that simplistically beautiful.
Dear friend, may 2012 bring you many happy surprises. Only then can they be fully appreciated.
I love finding all that old stuff, though it can be kind of bittersweet. And one thing I REALLY need to do is sort out all my "stuff". I have so so so much of it. Thankfully not nearly as much as I once did, but still, it piles up every time I turn my back.
ReplyDeleteDelores: Too right! The past is always with us, even when we would like to throw it away.
ReplyDeleteEmily: agreed. They sweep in on you and you are just carried off in them. A whole gamut of emotions in a short amount of time.
Judie: I did actually manage to get it done but it did take two days. :)
Thanks Michael! :D
Jemi: It is amazing. There are even certain smells that can trigger a memory- and stronger than if I had dredged it up myself!
Thanks LadyFi! I like keeping things fresh and I will tell you I was jealous of your slideshow when I first saw it. That's when I decided to start changing the picture more often because blogger has no such feature. And I didn't see that option in Wordpress so I am guessing you paid for that feature... It's great!
Michael D: ALways. You always bring a smile to my face. Thank you!
Trisha: The piles of paper are a neverending battle. And guess what? You don't even have kids yet, so you only get a taste of it. Just wait!
I tend to hang on to old stuff like that too. I put it away and forget about it. Then, a decade later or two, or three, later and I stumble onto all this... stuff. It's amazing.
ReplyDeleteOh, lovely words my dear. Memories fade, and give room for new ones to form. I always find it hard clearing out old things but in the ends, its quite therapeutic. I hope you are well my friend! x
ReplyDeletehahah, thanks for the tip on what may befall me in future Danette. ;)
ReplyDeleteI wanted to stop by & say you are my top commenter! hehe. I just added a widget I found on Michael di Gesu's blog, and it shows me who the top commenters are. It's down the left-hand side of my blog :)