I've been in the Foreign Service for 12 years now, which means I've packed and unpacked a few times. (12 to be exact.) I should be past the sentimental feelings from our stuff by now. However, I do get to reminiscing sometimes when I see things from the past.
Some things I find are a bit odd to still have. (LEL found a picture in a frame of me and my date to Senior Prom. She wondered why I still have it. Truthfully, because I look REALLY good in it.) Some things are quick reminders of years past. (There is a photo of me and my friends Al and Dawg taken at Al's graduation party in Pennsylvania that I love.) And then there are things that I look at and the room gets a bit dusty.
Looking through a box I found a small green pocket knife that used to belong to my paternal grandfather. For a while I carried it on my keychain as a reminder of him. When the crackdown on that stuff came at airports, I decided to put it away so I wouldn't lose it. He was one of my heroes in life, and it's hard to believe he's been gone for 10 years now.
While checking the damage done to our computer table, I opened a drawer and found a tiny blue hospital band with my crazy little guy's name on it. It was his ID for when he was born.
Opening a box and finding the blanket that my daughter slept with when she was first born, and realizing how fast she's grown, and how much she's been through, since then.
Opening boxes with books in them, I found a photo album that had pictures starting from at least 15 years ago. Some of them were from when I was part of the orientation group at University (and where I met my good friend Michelle), but some of them were from the beginning of my career in the Foreign Service. Photos of my house in Suriname. Pictures of my raucus birthday and going away party with my peace corps friends. A photo of my loyal and lovely dog, Baxter. (He of the nipping women, and no one else, in the bum. Someone tried to convince me I taught him that. My question: How?) Pictures of me at Carnival in Trinidad with my boy Trapper and his sisters. And then photos of London, and some of the very first pictures of my and LEL as we started dating.
It's not all maudlin time though. There are some funny stuff we came across too you know. LEL said that according to all the books we unpacked I apparently only read things about Beer, Battle and Batman. She's not lying. Looking at all of my DVDs and being able to read my wife's expression of, "What was he thinking when he bought "Undercover Brother?" Why did I marry him again?" Looking at all of the toys my kids have and then hearing them ask what Santa is going to bring them.
Packing and unpacking is something we as a family do a lot of for my work. Sometimes it's good to have these things where you can look and remember where you've been. At the same time, maybe it's time to get rid of that photo from High School.
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So I found a picture of us from Thanksgiving 94 the other day. A home from college visit for the both of us I believe. I couldn't help but think WOW, Jay and I were skinny freshmen. Sorry, it is going back to the photo box.
ReplyDeleteYou know I also found one of me receiving my diploma from High School. Talk about surreal. I remember that photo from Thanksgiving. Hope you wouldn't throw it out.
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