Thursday, January 27, 2011

It Stays


Well, we woke up to find that 18 inches of snow had fallen to join the two feet that had fallen last week. digging out of the driveway my husband has run out of places to throw the snow. Its bad people real bad. Well it could always be worse right?







Inside the trunk...a collage
What I really want to write about today is an tiny ongoing disagreement that my husband and I  had about a trunk. It's your run of the mill camping trunk that you might have taken to sleep away camp or college. This trunk I have had for about thirty years or so. It still has the collage that I made on the inside.There you'll see cut out pictures of Tom Cruise, lots of soap stars, Cindi Lauper, Marlena Dietrich. Everything that I found interesting at the time was in that collage. I brought that trunk to camp when I was a camp counselor. I took it to college where it served as a resting place for my radio and hot pot. (Remember hotpots? please say yes). When I got engaged I stored there all the special little items that I wanted to use for the wedding; and when we moved from our apartment into our very own home I packed it with our kids books. The disagreement that My Husband and  I  had, had to do with the fact that he hated that trunk.
"Its ugly." he said.
"I think it's beautiful" I said.
"It's old and rusted.  It shouldn't be in the guestroom why can't we just move it to the basement."
"Nope it stays up here." I said. Round and round we went until one day Hubby asked "Seriously why the heck are you so attached to that thing?"  I thought he knew. I thought it was obvious. It wasn't.

I was crazy about Luke and Laura...remember?

He knew that my Dad had given me the trunk but I explained. "Hun, that trunk and that old camera and my graduation ring is all I have left of him. He touched those things. You don't know how that feels because you are lucky enough to still have both your parents. When I look at that trunk I see him bringing it through the front door with a big smile on his face. When I look at that old camera I remember him holding it steady to take my picture when I was little. When I look at my Grad ring I remember how proud he was at my Graduation. I can't give up that trunk. It stays." I was trying hard not to cry. He looked at me with heart felt pause and said "You know what... your right. It stays." I spent ten minutes today looking at that old rusty trunk and remembering how much I Still Love my Dad.

My trunk and my Dad's old camera

10 comments:

  1. What a treasure! So glad you have it around to look at every day.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm glad your hubby finally agreed with you.
    PS. I think the trunk and the camera are nice vintage additions to a house:)

    ReplyDelete
  3. personally i say keep it if it is all you have of him a few things aren't going to hurt hubby can get over it. i'm sure he means well and i'm sure he adores you but he needs to get over it and let you have it. just saying. by the way HI hubby :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. I think it's beautiful I love treasures like that!

    Oh hun the snow is crazy!!!! I hope it gets soon!

    Sorry I haven't been able to reply to your email, it has been nutty with work and kids. I'll sit down this weekend and send you any info I can :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh, Joanne, I am crying like a baby right now. What a beautiful, heartfelt post. I lost my dad last year, and I actually wrote about just finding his wedding ring. I so understand your connection to something he touched, and the memories ... the sweet, sweet memories. Thanks for sharing your story... Donna

    ReplyDelete
  6. Now THAT is a true treasure. Put it in the living room!

    ReplyDelete
  7. The trunk is priceless. The photos, the memories, the fact that it was from your father... a true treasure indeed. Sounds like your husband is a treasure, too, for he finally got it.

    Thank you so much for sharing it and for joining in on the party. Please come back next week.

    And yes, I had a hotpot in my dorm room, too. Thanks for reminding me about it!

    xo
    Claudia

    ReplyDelete
  8. What a beautiful post. I do remember Hot Pots(I had one). The few things I have of my Dad are so special to me too. Keep that trunk forever so you can be reminded of your Dad.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I lost my daddy (at 92) last year and I know how much an item can fill you with sweet memories. I've kept lots of my dad's things - at first I kept everything, even notes scribbled on scraps of paper, everything felt so very precious. I've been able to let go of more and more but there are things that I intend to always keep in remembrance.

    Sending you lots of hugs!

    ReplyDelete

I LOVE comments...I think I'm addicted to them! they are like chips...oooo chips....or chocolate....yum...chocolate. Or like......can ya tell I'm dieting? Please leave me a comment so that I can keep my mind off of snacks!!!