"Keepers!"
 

> > >
> > > > A Keeper
> > > > >
> > > > > I grew up in the fifties with practical parents -- a
> > > > > mother, God love her, who washed aluminum foil after
> > > > > she cooked in it, then reused it. She was the
> > > > > original recycle queen, before they had a name for
> > > > > it...
> > > > >
> > > > > A father who was happier getting old shoes fixed
> > > > > than buying new ones.
> > > > >
> > > > > Their marriage was good, their dreams focused. Their
> > > > > best friends lived barely a wave away. I can see
> > > > > them now, Dad in trousers, tee shirt and a hat and
> > > > > Mom in a house dress, lawn mower in one hand,
> > > > > dishtowel in the other.
> > > > >
> > > > > It was the time for fixing things -- a curtain rod,
> > > > > the kitchen radio, screen door, the oven door, the
> > > > > hem in a dress. Things we keep.
> > > > >
> > > > > It was a way of life, and sometimes it made me
> > > > > crazy.
> > > > >
> > > > > All that re-fixing, reheati ng, renewing, I wanted
> > > > > just once to be wasteful.
> > > > >
> > > > > Waste meant affluence. Throwing things away meant
> > > > > you knew there'd always be more.
> > > > >
> > > > > But then my mother died, and on that clear summer's
> > > > > night, in the warmth of the hospital room, I was
> > > > > struck with the pain of learning that sometimes
> > > > > there isn't any 'more.'
> > > > >
> > > > > Sometimes, what we care about most gets all used up
> > > > > and goes away...never to return.
> > > > >
> > > > > So...while we have it...it's best we love it.....and
> > > > > care for it.....and fix it when it's broken.....and
> > > > > heal it when it's sick.
> > > > >
> > > > > This is true.....for marriage.....and old
> > > > > cars.....and children with bad report cards.....and
> > > > > dogs with bad hips.....and aging parents.....and
> > > > > grandparents.
> > > > >
> > > > > We keep them because they are worth it, because we
> > > > > are worth it.
> > > > >
> > > > > Some things we keep.
> > > > >
> > > > > Like a best friend that moved away -- or -- a
> > > > > classmate we grew up with.
> > > > >
> > > > > There are just some things that make life important,
> > > > > like people we know who are special.....and so, we
> > > > > keep them close!

;)

God, that is so true, I remember those times very well. My mother was the same way, my father is also. I guess that is why it is hard for me to throw away things that can be fixed, that and lack of money now, it seems like second nature. It is amazing the things that people throw away. I alwaysed loved going to the land fill when I was a kid, all the neat stuff that people threw away that was perfectly fine or could be fixed easily. They won't let you take stuff out of the land fill anymore, it's a shame.

WOW!

It's not as if I didn't remember all this..........it's just very nice to see it in type and let my mind meander back to the times when_____________________________! (filling in the blanks on my own)

Thanks Irish! Nostalgia has never been more bittersweet!

Cobalt---At my hometown,in Conn.,the dump(Landfill)is so large&
there were so many trashpickers,that they issued trash picking
permits&made it alphabetical,on what days you could go there!
There were that many people!As they say:One persons trash,is
anothers treasure!People would make many pickup truck trips on
their days. Irish

Thanks

The memories that brings back...

Sounds like my family when I was growing up.
I still retain some of those habits till this day.