The things I cherish (part II)

Another thing I have of her that I cherish is her bedroom shoes.  I have become attached to them and have worn them during the winter.  There is a big hole at the top of the right toe, and they aren’t pretty.  They were Mom’s and that’s what makes them special. 

U  Are there sentimental items such as a pair of bedroom shoes someone may cherish? (Some items need to be labeled with your loved one’s name because over time you may forget it was theirs.)   U

I also have two plants in my living room from her funeral.  I took Lauren and Ashton on a trip for a few days.  When I came home Paul had forgotten to water the plants, and one had wilted.  I panicked and thought the plant would not make it.  Thankfully, they are still here to remind me of her.

I have cherished all the things she has saved for us.  She saved Christmas cards she gave to Dad and Christmas cards we sent to others when we were young.  She saved Mother’s Day cards I sent to her, cards from Dad, cards she sent to Dad for his birthday, and anniversary cards Mom and Dad gave to each other.  You name it, I have it.  I even have the cards Lauren and Ashton sent to Mom while she was sick.  The cards are precious.  She saved everything: Dad’s baby rattle and his Bible when he was young, Mom and Dad’s patches from their letter jackets in high school, and postcards from their honeymoon.

Going through all these things has drawn me “closer to her.”  Memories seem to be forgotten.  The freshness of her presence faded.  But then I pull out letters she wrote me when I was in college that freshness is quickly brought back.  I read in her letters, the love she had for me and how she missed me when I was away.  In one letter she wrote, “I love you very much and ask God each day to bless you and be with you – so just remember just because I don’t write each week it’s not because I’m not thinking about you.”

U  Are there cards and letters you can save for your children/grandchildren, so they can cherish them one day?  U

She also saved us an entire box of pictures.  Some of the pictures are from before I was born.  She took the family scrapbooks apart and divided them between the four girls.  I also found all of her old checks that were boxed up.  I found checks she wrote when I was in kindergarten, a check to the family pediatrician, and one she wrote on my birthday.  I will always cherish all the things she so thoughtfully saved for us.