In early 2022 I had a list of things to get done. It wasn’t a new year resolution; it was just things that needed addressed that I typically don’t have time to even think about doing. I wrapped up things with one job in late December 2021 and had about two weeks to get my to do list done before beginning a new job. That was a weird two weeks to say the least. For the first time (in….well since I became a parent), I felt caught up. It was a good slow down, but at the time I thought two weeks was my limit on a slower life. During that time, I cleaned some, read a book, got back in the habit of some quiet time and prayer in the mornings. I organized drawers and cabinets. I purged things we didn’t need. And the big “to do” item was to go through all those Rubbermaid totes in the storage shed. Most of these totes made their way to my house from my parent’s attic just before my wedding more than 13 years ago. Yes! All of my stuff started living at my house before I did! And then we moved them to the house we currently live in. Both times we took them straight to storage and never sorted through them.
I almost avoided this project again. I kept finding other things to take care of until my start date of Jan. 10. But then, my start date was pushed back by one week due to things out of my control. So, I finally decided it was time to knock that last bullet point off my list. One by one, I brought the totes in my house and sorted through them on a folding table in the living room. I made piles, looked through pictures and was reminded of things I’d forgotten about. I smiled, I laughed, I cried, and I wondered why I kept avoiding this task because it was actually enjoyable.
I filled several trash sacks with rosette ribbons, stock show banners, and certificates of achievement from elementary, junior high, high school and college. Initially, my goal was to consolidate. When I finished, I was more than satisfied (not because I had several empty Rubbermaid totes) because of all the treasures I found that made the keep pile. Those treasures reminded me of my roots, the things and the people that built me and made me grateful for the experiences and opportunities that I’ve been blessed with.
Unlike when we’re sorting cattle, I had no specs for keeping or culling at the beginning of the project. But I quickly found out that anything that was handwritten caught my eye. For example: I kept the sticky note that my mom left on my dresser reminding me to cloth myself in humility and the one that was encouraging me, saying ‘keep your head up’, after a tough loss. I kept the congratulations note from my sister after making it out of the district speech contest. You can bet I kept the weathered Ziploc bag filled with lucky numbers drawn at speech contests, a few coins that each have a story and a buckeye that I kept in my FFA jacket pocket. I kept the silly birthday poems typed on a typewriter from my grandad “Pop”. If you don’t have a friend that sends you the most random and hilarious cards year after year – get one! Because (Lauren) I kept most of those too! I ran across photos of grandparents, bible class teachers, classmates, mentors, co-workers, family, and friends who have passed on from this earth. I found so many cards and notes from my now -- husband that gave me butterflies all over again and all those cards that came with flowers he sent to my office in OKC that won me over. So many memories literally flooded my heart and mind.
Maybe my favorite treasure found was a note from my dad around the time I graduated high school. It was handwritten on two small pieces of scrap paper stapled together. Here’s a little bit of what it said,
Throughout each day, don’t forget to pray
As you’re ready to enter the show ring of life
keep your head up - look up to God
watch the judge - don’t take your eyes off Jesus
Know the answers to the questions - Study the Book of Life
Don’t forget to Smile - Let your light shine
Don’t let go of the rope! – Keep a strong hold to the Faith and love the Lord. It will lead you to eternal life.
· P.S. You have made us very proud!
The message is spot on. It makes me smile, keeps me grounded and gives me hope. And the original cattle/show ring analogy, well that’s just a 100% Max-ism.
The things that made the keep pile had a commonality. Whether it was a handwritten note or a printed photo, all the ‘keepers’ were put on paper. I learned something that day! If you’re proud of someone, let them know. If you know someone could use a smile, send them a card just because. If you love someone more than you could ever describe, be sure to tell them or write it down often. The handwritten words that I finally got around to re-reading were a well-timed blessing. And the years gone-by provided a new prospective. I’m going to make a better effort to write notes – handwritten notes. And if I don’t have any cute paper, I’ll grab a scrap of what I can find and when I run out of room, I’ll just staple another piece to it because it’s the message that makes it special, not the presentation.
My daughter recently received a card from a long-time family friend encouraging her and congratulating her on all her hard work during her first show season. (Full disclosure — we started with goats and we loved it. But hope to move on to cattle in the next few years.) That card most assuredly did not go in the trash. She put it in a spot where she keeps things that are special to her. Whether you are 9 years old or 90 years old, it’s gratifying to read or hear encouraging and affirming words. It fills our cup! And guess what?! Whether you are 9 or 90 you can give encouragement or affirmation. It doesn’t have to cost a penny, but the message could last a lifetime.
Now for the pictures. Take them! Snap the photo! The process is all too convenient in today’s world because most of us have a camera on our phone. But scrolling through photos on my phone just isn’t the same for me as it is when they are printed. There’s something about flipping through an old photo album or opening an old envelope filled with photos from a roll of film that welcomes you back into the moment - a moment that we can never relive. I am going to make a better effort to print some photos every few months.
Our entire life is a series of events. All the little moments or snippets that add up to a lifetime. Now that I’ve had the chance to re-read all the encouraging words written to me, I hope to repay the favor to my children and others as the years go by. I plan to put it all on paper.
Glowing
Re-reading those notes from this guy gave me butterflies, but unfortunately I’m not glowing, tan and skinny yet like we are in this picture. Maybe it’s coming.
Don’t let go of the rope
Sheesh I’ve heard that a million times! If you let go once, they’ll know they can get away next time. But this note gives that phrase a new life.