Florida 2013: Talk of Things
4.27.2013. Back from Florida. 3-1/2 days of Jim and Susan, Joe and Pat, Jim and Joe, Susan and Pat. It's always risky when two girlfriends decide to get together and take their husbands along. I remember ten years or so ago, when my Rochester girlfriends decided to eliminate men from our parties because we were tired of watching one another fret over whether our men were having a good time or not. So we had mercy and left them out. But Pat and I lucked out -- our men seem to get along.
We had several intense conversations as we relaxed together, usually around meal times. A favorite topic was "what things make the memories come flooding in?" Joe was quick to say that he could tell a story for every gun in his collection. He reminisced in particular about the gun he inherited from his dad, which brought him good luck on his first hunt at the Georgia hunting club.
Pat brought out a pair of pottery birds that held sentimental memories of a particular time and place she and Joe were together. The beak was chipped on one and Pat hoped her heirs would not consider it "broken" and discard it when she's gone. She wondered if she should have an album with pictures of her most precious mementos -- a "don't throw these away" book.
Suddenly the stuffed animals began appearing, each with a name and a story to tell. Their whimsical critters told me a lot about Pat and Joe -- how much they enjoy their playful, imaginative lives together. I guess I can say that because we have our own set of characters that live on top of the refrigerator -- but more on that another day.
When you give it a second thought, our attachment to little things make our lives richer. They are companions -- helpers that spark our memories and keep us connected to days gone by.
