SIDE BY SIDE

Gather! It's time to sit around in a circle and stare at an illustration while listening to a story about a cherished pair of shoes. Just like third grade reading time, right? :) Kidding. Have you ever felt like you needed to keep a certain material item because of an emotional connection? I know a lot of people have...especially with heirlooms, baby blankets, wedding rings, etc. I've been on declutter mode for the past month, and the house has transformed by losing all the stuff we decided to get rid of. Buuut, of course, my college graduation gown is still waving at me from the closet with its giant winged arms. WHY am I trying to keep this mumu dress similar to the design of a garbage bag? I must be thinking that it'll come in handy one day. Anyway, hope you enjoy!

There they were, gently placed side by side with great consideration and care. They had brought a sense of happiness to her heart, as strange as it may seem. After all, they had accompanied her through pivotal points in her life. They were there when she excitedly ran through the damp green grass toward her family, tightly grasping her the evidence of her hard-earned education. They had been there with her as she first wandered through the brightly-lit, music-filled streets in awestruck amazement. They were there when she anxiously pulled on the iron handles of the glass doors to enter the bustling café…

”So are you going to keep those?” he asked her. “Honey..?” he asked again. She blinked, and came back to reality. “Oh. Sorry, I was just thinking how long I’ve actually had these…you remember the café where we met? I forgot I wore these that night…”

She pondered. “I think I have to keep these. I’ll just need to make the extra space.” He laughed. “That’s how they get to keep it all.” He paused, then knowingly smiled. “If it makes you feel any better, I kept mine too.”