A simple enough thing---notice a box that is sitting near your reading chair, place it on the bed, open it up and realize that the rest of the night will be used to read and cry over letters and photos from your parents, siblings, family, friends and lost friends.
I knew as soon as I opened the box, looking for buttons, that I was not going to pass over a single photo, drawing, card or letter. The experience was full of smiles, outright laughs, memories, lost stories, adorable crayon art and the kind of nostalgia that, in my case at least, leaves a person grateful for everyone who has crossed her path.
One letter was from a beloved sister-in-law who died days after writing, and whose death I wasn't aware of until after a while, realizing I hadn't answered her note, I called her home.
Others were letters from my mother, after my dad's stroke had left him unable to speak, talking about how hopeful she was that he would recover, and always signed by both...the dad signature wobbly but there.
My daughters both lived out west for a while, and Dave lived in Victoria for two years while he studied for his master's degree, and many of the letters were from the three of them. Looking back I realized that although they lived in BC, each of them was there alone, or with their partner, and each had different experiences, but all wrote funny, sad, worried and joyful letters at different times.
My sisters and brothers only wrote clever and amusing letters, even though they were sometimes in the midst of studying, having uncomfortable experiences at work or coping with the kind of instances that we all run into during our lifetimes.
Most strangely, I had some letters from people I couldn't find in my memories. I'll work on making those connections over the next few weeks.
Besides letters, there were wonderful and imaginative drawings and cards from my grandchildren, wishing us happy birthdays, Happy Easter, Happy Valentine's Day or just saying they loved us.
I really count myself so privileged, so nostalgic, so delighted, so moved and so full of love.
Now that was a treasure box for sure.
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