I use the Day One journal app on my phone to keep track of my favorite things.
I snap a photo and make an entry of what it is, where it came from, and why I have kept it, in case anyone ever wonders what I was thinking.
There is no rhyme or reason to these items.
Some things I keep for sentimental reasons – like my fathers dried out Parker fountain pen from the 60s. I keep it because it is something he touched when he was alive. The same is probably true of my mother’s tarnished stamp box. I keep some furnishings for the same reason. A mirror that can be seen in the background if their wedding cake cutting photo and stuff like that.
Other things just make me smile or remind me of a happy memory.
Case in point, is this whale mug. My mother in law gave us a pair in the 80s when we built our beach cottage. They were always my favorites.. I especially loved the whale tail handle. In the morning, I would sit on the porch and watch the sun rise out if the sea, with this mug filled with fresh coffee nestled between my hands. All these years later, I haven’t found a better way to start my day.
I use to tuck them away in the owners closet when we rented so they wouldn’t break or grow legs or disappear. When we eventually moved, I packed them up and put them in the basement and forgot about them. That chapter of my life was over. I found myself wondering what had happened to them from time to time, but just figured they had gotten lost during a move.
When my cousin bought a house in Maine a few years ago, I encouraged to ” go shopping ” in my basement where I had so much kitchen and tableware stored for who knows what. She took me up on my offer and I gladly waved goodbye to boxes of stuff I no longer needed or had room for.
Last month, I went to visit her in Maine, and discovered my long lost whales in her cupboard !. They must have been among the boxes of stuff I gave her. It was like seeing an old friend. She let me take one home. Hopefully, I will keep track of it better this time.
Thank you for second chances