Objects of Affection

I adore the men in my life. They are crazy, out-of-control boys who keep me laughing without any real effort on their part (except when they put catsup bottles and place settings in my purse at restaurants). Despite the fact that most of them are now married, they are still in my life and I love that (and think their wives should be sainted). As I've been cleaning and packing up the apartment, I've found all kinds of random objects my boys have given me. My favorites?

This seashell was a gift from Cory during out last trip to Mexico. It was just months after LW had passed away and I still had moments of extreme melancholy in which I would lose my mind. I did pretty well on that trip up until the last day, when Cory was teasing me about something and locked me out of the house. And I lost it. I just burst into tears and ran down the little hill to beach. I walked for quite a while on the beach until I sat down and cried myself to sleep. Cory found me curled up in a ball, burning to a crisp. We walked along the beach and talked until the tide started rolling in and we couldn't dodge the jellyfish any longer. On our way back to the house, Cory scooped up this shell and handed it to me. For once I don't think he even said anything funny or corny. It was a wonderful gesture and I keep it on my nightstand to remind me that I may not always fit it, but I always belong.

In case you can't tell what this is, it's a flower made out of guitar strings. About a year ago, a friend of mine broke my strings while trying to tune my guitar. It became a sore spot with me when months went by without him replacing the strings. Finally, one night after going to see a movie, he ended up changing my strings. And making me this flower. That was also the night that I decided that, not matter what, I needed to tell him how I felt. I did and things were weird for a while. Then they got better. Now they are off-kilter again. This boy will be one of the hardest lessons I have to learn in life, I just know it. But I have also cherished our friendship.

And last, but not least, my insane friend Brandon gave me this rubber number 2. I was driving home one night and passed his house. He was out working on his truck so I stopped by. He sauntered up to my car window and proceed to leave dirty, grimy hand prints on my car. Then he bent down to pick something up off the ground and said, "I already have a #1 (his wife) but you can be my #2" and handed me this rubber #2. Totally random and totally part of his charm (he and Cory are brothers).

I've kept these objects because they remind me of people and places and emotions. They remind me not only of the person who gave it, but also, especially with the shell and the flower, of my own struggles and progress I've made. Yep, these little trinkets will be finding a place in my new home. How could they not?