People Keep the Darndest Things

When I was a junior in college I did a year abroad in Germany. When I got back to my little hometown of McPherson, Kansas, a couple of my little cousins had made some welcome home signs for me. I came across them in a box today.

"WE LOVE YOU JODI, GLAD YOU ARE PART OF THE FAMILY!!"

And this one:

"WELCOME BACK, JODI, WE MISSED YOU A BUNCH!! NOW LET'S PARTY!!"

from Heidi and Emily

Everyone should have cousins like these.

I do wonder at my sanity, keeping things like this, move after move. But then I realize how much pleasure I got out of coming across them, again, and reliving memories of my cousins from 15 years ago. And Conner, for his part, was a bit nonplussed: to him, after all, these cousins have never been little girls -- they're women with grown-up lives that have absolutely nothing to do with him. The thought of them being younger than he is now ... well, it was clear the thought just never occurred to him.

Today, Heidi lives in northwest Arkansas with her husband and toddler. She's a big-time major health guru who teaches yoga and ingests nothing with artificial preservatives. You look at her and want to be her.

Emily just finished nursing school and moved to Kansas City for a new job as a bona fide Registered Nurse. She is looking good and loving life and well on her way to paying back her student loans. You can check her out at her new blog.

(Don't these things rock?)

What do you do with stuff like this? Once again, I put it in a pile with other "To Deal With Later" stuff. In a couple of years (or not? only God knows) it'll go in yet another box and carted to yet another home.

And will be pulled out and smiled at, yet again.

See? Now Olivia is a "Special Person", too.