Tell Me the Story

Have you ever seen the show of the FOX News channel called OBJECTIFIED?   Its pretty interesting.  Its based on the idea that the objects we choose to keep in our homes have not only have some meaning to us but they explain the experiences that have shaped who we are. Of course on the show, celebrities are interviewed, but I’m thinking we all have such objects in our homes.  I know for a fact that I do. 

 Since I’ve recently moved my home office to a different room, I’ve handled each of these objects and thought it would be fun to share them with you.  

Lets start with the objects on my desk (besides the obvious stack of "stuff" that I need to go through and file away. 

"Blue B" is no longer blue, but a well-worn gray, teddy b ear that I had as an infant.  His fabric is worn thin, his eyes have long since fallen out, and he is almost unrecognizable as a "bear" at all.  I've literally had him my whole life.  I'm told that when I was a baby I was really sick and throughout that illness I held tight to that bear.  He has seen me through some bad times and he's still here to see me through whatever the future holds.  

Next to Blue B sits my dad's wallet.  I'm not sure how I ended up with it, but some time after he passed, I acquired it.  Maybe its fitting that a daughter ends up with her dad's wallet since I'm sure he reached into it many, many times to take care of my needs and most of my wants.  Inside the wallet were the things he held most dear - pictures of his great grand-kids.  

Next to that is a piece of wood.  Its not just any piece of wood though.  Its a piece of a swing that used to sit on our patio.  When my husband and I married, we were poor.  Really poor. I mean we lived in an old trailer in a run down trailer park that was inhabited by Gypsies.  Just before our wedding I took Brian to the farm store to show him a beautiful swing that I thought was the coolest swing I had ever seen.  I knew we couldn't afford it, and I wasn't asking for it, but I did want him to see how cool it was.   The night of our rehearsal dinner he surprised me and gave me the swing for a wedding gift.  It lasted almost 26 years and when we had to get rid of it, we kept a portion of it.  There are various teeth prints from several of the dogs we have had over the years.  

Next to that is a small, plastic piggy bank.  That came from a little girl on the Reservation.  For years I led mission teams to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota.  Pine Ridge is the poorest place in the U.S.   The median income there is just $3500 a year ... in America.  One year we took up an offering.  I had debated  that and wasn't sure if we should but decided that even the poorest among us can be a blessing to those who are living in even worse circumstances.  One little girl put her entire piggy bank, all of the money she had, into the offering.  I kept the little bank as a reminder to be a good giver and as a testament to the little girl who taught us all about generosity.  

Next to that is a small figurine that an old friend gave to me.  On it is inscribed the passage from Calvin Coolidge "Press On".   "Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent."

On the top of my desk sits several other items.  A sign that read's Be Brave and the scripture Jeremiah 29:11.  Unlike the other items, I have not had this one for long.  I bought it last year to remind myself to be brave and not quit.  After being offered a position with an elite training organization and working alongside some of the most skilled trainers in the country, I struggled.  Oh I was happy. I was thrilled.  I was honored.  And I was terrified!   One of the hardest things I've ever done was to stay there, feeling like an impostor but trying my best to do well and not reflect badly upon them.  

Next to that is a basket.  The basket was hand made for me by a lady in our church in Louisiana.  It has special meaning because of the lady who made it, and because it is beautiful as she was.  

There is also a framed certificate from when I completed the NRA Instructor training.  I had never, ever set out to be a firearms instructor, but God leads in some pretty interesting ways and I've learned to just follow as best as I can.  Its been quite a trip. 

In the corner of my office is a curio cabinet.  A long time ago it was for sale in my aunt and uncle's hardware store in my hometown.  My aunt gave it to me early when I was married for just a short time.  Inside are my wedding bouquet, the pillow the ring bearer carried in our wedding, and the topper that sat on our wedding cake.  There is a pewter cup engraved with our oldest son's name that was given to us when he was born.  There are tea pots too. Some that were given to me by a sweet older lady who

attended our church and has since passed on.  One that I purchased in Romania when I was there on a mission trip, two pieces from a small tea set I had as a child, and one tea pot made by my youngest son when he was in elementary school.  That one may just be my favorite. 

You may see a nativity set in there too. Its there simply because I don't know where else to put it. 

And finally there is my chair and side table. 

The chair we have had for years.  It used to be blue but several years ago I asked my mom and dad to reupholster it.  They did.  I"m pretty sure it was a labor of love because it was not an easy task.  Its held up well ... and both Cooper and Gunner like to think its their chair. 

On the side table (which is really a stool) sits an old phone.  When I was a child my dad owned a men's clothing store in our hometown and we lived in the apartment above it.  The backroom was filled with antiques, among which was this old phone.  

Above the chair are old photos of my dad when he was a little boy and his father.  These are people who survived some tough times yet they never complained.  I like to think they helped to make me who I am.  I like to think that maybe I can learn from their example.

As I write this it strikes me that I have a lot of "stuff" in this small room.  I guess that means I've been around for a while.  I wonder what will happen to all this stuff when I'm gone?  Maybe one of my kids will read this and realize the value of the old stuff in mom's office.