As we are preparing to move to our new-to-us home I have developed a new motto “it’s just stuff.” This has empowered me to part with many things that I have been holding on to. I have already thrown away and given away many things, most of which I already forgot I had and will never miss. I keep thinking about the slightly short-on-storage house and then I just give/throw away what ever I am holding.
One closet cleaning lead me to my old ballet costumes. After 16 years of dancing I had quite the accumulation of lovely costumes They had been taking up almost half of Boston’s closet and finally I sat down and looked at them and picked a few out to give away. The rest (the prettiest), I stored carefully in a new plastic tub along with various Halloween costumes, snapped the side handles/clasps shut and carefully labeled it “costumes.” If I should ever be blessed with a little girl, she would love to play in them.
We took a load of boxes over to the new house tonight. The costume tub was placed on the top of the stack and we went on our merry way. Upon arrival, I noticed a maroon bit of fabric draped across the top of the load and my eyes trialed up to the now lidless costume box. To my horror the tub was now half empty (definitely NOT half full) – and what should be missing but the three lovely ballet costumes that I had placed on top! Somewhere along the 10 mile drive, the lid had blown off and I lost my costumes! I cried because I was so sad and frustrated that chance would have it that that tub would be on top instead of a box that was taped closed or full of replaceable things. But no, it had to be the ballet costumes.
On our way home we retraced our route going 35-40 mph instead of the usual 45-55 mph, carefully scanning the side of the road for any sign of the costumes. We found a gold sash for an ugly pirate costume I made myself, a lace hair piece that went with one of the costumes, and the lid of the box. NO costumes. Twenty years of careful preservation and poof – gone. This is when I have to tell myself over and over, “it’s only stuff…you can’t take it with you.”
Now to the positive side of the story. Scott is going on a backpacking trip tomorrow and so he ran to the store pick up a few things after our return home. He was gone for a long time and when he got back he said, “someone took them.” “Huh?” He then proceeded to tell me how he drove all the way back to the other house and searched for the costumes again! He is now convinced that someone saw them beside the road and picked them up. I hope whoever found them has a darling little girl who is on cloud nine playing with her pretty ballet costumes.
What a sweet, devoted husband I have! He felt so bad about me loosing my ballet costumes that he spent a good 40 minutes searching for them again. It is now 11:40 pm and he is still trying to get everything ready for his trip. So tonight I lost some valued possessions but was reminded of what a treasure I have in my wonderful, supportive and thoughtful husband. I love him so much! What a blessing it is that the real treasure, my husband and family, I CAN take with me!
4 comments:
that is so sad, i am so sorry you lost your pretty costumes! I would be devastated also! but what a sweet husband you have- I am so happy you have a good outlook on the whole thing! :)
Love this post, Cami! I can totally understand how hearbroken you were. You're right, it is all just stuff--but sometimes meaningful stuff! How sweet of Scott to try to help. You are right--in the end, the two of you are what matters!
Aw, sad day! That is awful. But wonderful perspective:)
What a sweet story and what perfect perspective you have!!! Sorry for the loss and thanks for the lesson:)
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