I had the smallest taste of what the people who endured Katrina are going through today. Our weather in California has been stormy. We've had drenching rain for the past few days. We hunkered down and mostly stayed indoors - not a big deal.
Today though, a crate of stored memories was found in our rickety, leaky utility room (functions as a laundry room/ shed) was found full of water. I was frustrated because I hadn't wanted to store the box out there to begin with. But it was and I had to deal with the aftermath.
It was all stuff from my schooling - Jr. High, High School and College. Random weird stuff that was supposed to be fun to go through sometime with my kids. Now it was a chore. My yearbooks were waterlogged; the autographs and sentiments running all over. I couldn't imagine that they could ever be as good as new - into the trash they all went. My scrapbook full of past accomplishments was soaked. I was sad but brave. They were stuff of a girl who is long gone.
Surferman was wonderful. As I sulked, he hauled out the blow dryer and peeled apart all the photos, and scraps of paper from the memory boxes and methodically started drying them. I tried to tell him that he didn't have to do it. I felt like it should all be trashed. That my memories would have to be enough.
Tonight he brought me a stack of photos - old friends, old boyfriends, old Robin. It was great to be reminded of college friends I had forgotten about. I was stoked to have any of it.
My crate is down to a box. I had to think about all the people who weathered Katrina. All the people who didn't have a chance to save anything from a box of memories. I couldn't fathom their loss before. I still really can't, but I got a glimpse.
A church member of mine spoke one Sunday about losing everything. They lost their house, yes, but she was much more upset about the pre-school art and baby books she'll never see again. She says she gets so jealous of people when she sees children's drawings on a fridge or a baby's photo album.
ReplyDeleteShe is doing well though and trusting God to take care of her.
I'm fortunate to have a home. I lost one window in the storm...and the house a block away doesn't exist anymore.
It's really interesting how fast "things" change in value...from an expensive home to seemingly sentimental tidbits...but they are bits of who we are.
I'm sorry about your stuff. It's not fun to lose things that are meaningful!1
Oy oy oy. I am so sorry. Scanning damaged photos and stuff might be helpful...
ReplyDeleteWhen Katrina happened, I knew I was being weird, but scrapbooks were about the first thing I thought of. All the scrappers who lost their art, lost their supplies. I almost wanted to do a drive for craft stuff to send them - but thought it would be thought too trivial. (and of course $$ was much more immediately helpful)