Kim Wilbanks

It wasn’t too difficult to get rid of the excess stuff that cluttered my house and my life.  Some things were easy to let go of.  But, there were a few things I could not bear to release.  I couldn’t let go of the words.

Love notes and cards from my husband, especially the ones written at those milestone moments like the birth of each child.  My sister-in-law described it well when she said it was like having a written record of a lifetime of memories.  She has saved four years of letters she and her husband exchanged before they were married.

The cards from my children, early ones where their dad painstakingly traced chubby little hands as well as more recent ones that reflect their personalities more.

Cards from my parents for my birthday and every major holiday, always addressed to their “darling daughter.”

Encouraging cards and notes from friends old and new.  They remind me that I was loved, that I am loved.  Some cards were sent during the more difficult times like the death of my grandparents and in-laws or when I suffered a miscarriage.

Cards from my sweet Mother-in-law who passed five years into our marriage.  These were especially poignant.  Each card was signed “I love you.”  I knew that she loved me but I don’t think I grasped the extent of that love until now.  She loved me because I loved her boy.  I get that now.  There is an unspoken bond between a mother and the one who deeply loves her child.

I know it is a funny thing to save, but, I have a handwritten letter from my mother from when she and my father were on a trip of a lifetime.  She described their room in London in great detail.  It is easy to imagine what it looked like from her description.  Today, she would have simply taken a picture with her iPhone and texted it to me.  But, then, I wouldn’t have all those words in her distinctive handwriting. 

All  of these words I am saving are stored in several small boxes in the top of my closet.  It makes me wonder, though.  In this age of technology, what will the next generation have to save, to hold in their hands?  So many sentiments are sent by text message or email.  Ecards and invites are hugely popular.

I guess I am a bit old fashioned.  I am happy to have a few items of paper and ink to reminisce over.

What about you?  Do you have some special words you have saved?