A Place Where We Keep Memories

Many many years ago, while working as an Activities Director at a middle school in my district, I became friends with the gentleman who ran our fundraisers.  He was always upbeat and pleasant to be around and I appreciated his help and advice as I struggled through learning my job (and running fundraisers in the tens of thousands of dollars).  I was so flattered when, one Christmas, he invited my husband and me to his home for his annual Christmas get together for clients and friends.
Oh my gosh his home was GORGEOUS!  Set in a beautiful neighborhood in a nearby city, it was immaculate.  In addition to the two story home, it had a beautiful guest house in the back amidst lush lawns and gardens.  The guest home was set up as a quilting space for his then wife.  I was in awe.  When we were given the tour of the main house, I was so impressed by his Christmas decorating.  It was as if he took out the contents of the house and replaced everything with the holiday decor.  I'm sure hours and hours were put into making it look so festive! 

One thing that did catch my eye was this antique looking curio cabinet in the foyer.  We had one too and I never knew what to put in it.  It sat in our living room for years and years and it really was like an extra piece of furniture that didn't belong.  I had tried filling it with various knicknacks over the years, but it was never right.  But looking at Dennis' cabinet, I saw exactly what I wanted to do.  His was filled with old photos and mementos of his childhood - things that, in my world, were probably stuffed in a box in the closet somewhere.  I was inspired to go home and re-look at that orphan cabinet.

Since that time it has become a place to put really important things... treasured things... things that are irreplaceable or that bring back a memory or two.  Ours is the home for my brass baby shoes, a picture of my parents and me when I was a baby, my daughter's high school diploma (until she wants to take it back) and her honor cords from graduation.  On a shelf is the letter from my song "pom pom" uniform from junior high school and a picture of the first dog of my own - a red doberman named "Aja".  The plaster of paris hand and footprints of our daughter and my husband's high school tassel from graduation.  Things that really have no other place but to be together in that orphan curio cabinet that is now their home.