Belongings
Reading stories of people picking through the litter that their possessions have become in the Katrina flooding makes me realize that very few of the objects and small treasures I have so carefully collected since my migratory days are truly important. Sure, I would miss many things were I not able to look at them or bring them out for holidays, but I doubt they are what I would miss most.
What's really important, and priceless to me, are the photographs and the letters and documents that represent the milestones of my life and my children's lives... the banner my daughter wore as a poster child, the wedding pictures of my son and pictures of my parents as young adults starting their own lives...the toasting crystal goblets we bought for our 25th Anniversary, those are the items I would mourn the loss.
The many little knick knacks that adorn my shelves, the many roosters and hens who infest my kitchen, and the Asian boxes and baskets and rattan tables I have artfully placed in my living room...they are just pretty things. They represent my need to nest and to feel that I have created something lovely and peaceful. They are not me. At least not a permanent me. They may have been a part of me for a moment.
I wonder as I think about all the things that those Gulf Coast families must do without or try to replace, if these are things that can be replaced (NOT the people and pets who are gone), how do these Gulf Coast souls feel? Will they find and salvage the special things of their hearts? Will they be able to move past the pain and experience something good after all this begins to fade? If they have held onto some tokens of their lives before the storm, I pray that those tokens will help them endure the pain, and help them to move on. I pray that those tokens can represent something truly important in their lives.
What's really important, and priceless to me, are the photographs and the letters and documents that represent the milestones of my life and my children's lives... the banner my daughter wore as a poster child, the wedding pictures of my son and pictures of my parents as young adults starting their own lives...the toasting crystal goblets we bought for our 25th Anniversary, those are the items I would mourn the loss.
The many little knick knacks that adorn my shelves, the many roosters and hens who infest my kitchen, and the Asian boxes and baskets and rattan tables I have artfully placed in my living room...they are just pretty things. They represent my need to nest and to feel that I have created something lovely and peaceful. They are not me. At least not a permanent me. They may have been a part of me for a moment.
I wonder as I think about all the things that those Gulf Coast families must do without or try to replace, if these are things that can be replaced (NOT the people and pets who are gone), how do these Gulf Coast souls feel? Will they find and salvage the special things of their hearts? Will they be able to move past the pain and experience something good after all this begins to fade? If they have held onto some tokens of their lives before the storm, I pray that those tokens will help them endure the pain, and help them to move on. I pray that those tokens can represent something truly important in their lives.
posted by Tnoptimom at 9:27 PM
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