This little Sequoia & Kings Canyon Nat'l Parks, California box had seen many better days and was a much loved and used souvenir box from my childhood.
This had ended up in my thrift donation pile, but I kept taking it in and out until it finally ended up in drawer semi-forgotten.
It held everything through the years, valuable kid treasure junk, secret notes, jewelry, paper clips and things only it can remember if it could. Then one day I remembered it in a drawer, it had a broken barrette, a receipt so faded it could no longer be read and a gold chain bracelet from my high school days.
Besides the remnants in the box, there were memories of vacations to Yosemite, the Sequoia's or Kings Canyon. Yosemite mostly, the Sequoia's for the tallest Redwoods in history and King's for fishing. We always brought home a souvenir- be it something bought or found. I have a smaller Yosemite box and plenty of rocks from various vacations!
The biggest happiest memory in the Sequoia box is the time we took my best friend who had never been camping or fishing! It was so exciting for us being with someone who had never been! I remember my Dad really wanted this trip to be the time she caught her first fish, so he would throw out a line for her every chance he had and it ended up she was the only one to catch a fish! And did it tasted especially good being shared with five people!
It's such a delightful surprise to find out which listed items will become fav'd or someone falls so in love, they order it, even if the shipping is more than the item! It's always the least expected ones!
So off it went all the way to Holland! Something of mine is getting a second life as a change box at their Christmas market. She said, it's better than a Sequoia wallet and to me it's the cutest wallet to hit the NL!
Saying Good bye: This was one was a lot easier than I thought. I'm not sure why, maybe because it went to a place I knew it was going to be loved and used daily. I sure wasn't. Maybe someone's enthusiasm for it was like I once had for it? Maybe because someone loved it with all it's age, smudge and wear? Maybe because it must have enough meaning and love for someone to pay a shipping price almost triple that of the item? Maybe it took all the above for me to finally rest easy and let it go.
Update 12-12-12: Which reminds me of my first story and "good-bye" from the Netherlands! The first one is from Karin from NL and her copper cherry blossom incense burner and my collection of incense and incense holders, Story VII. That was a much more difficult good-bye! I'll have to examine and compare the two relations and why another time!
Here is the box today, unchanged and in all it's glory!
What I learned:
1. I'm grateful to meet so many talented people along the way! Danielle has a very unique eye for distinctively beautiful designs! Check out her website for inspiration from bridal (bruidsarrangementen) to farewell floral arrangements (rouwarrangementen), workshops (workshoparrangementen) and more and even a pic of her standing in front of a Sequoia (over mij)! or if you are in NL give her a visit and tell her I said, "Hi!"
http://www.sequoiafloraldesign.nl/
2. Sometimes where there is a minus, a whole or gap, it's easier for me to see the plus or negative against the positive image it leaves behind.
3. If I can see how my aged, loved "seen better days" items are getting new lives with gusto, glory and new scenery, so can I! I am living a new life with gusto, glory and new scenery too!
I hope you are too!
Thank you etsy for helping me to meet many gifted people! Thank you Danielle for your story and sending a picture of the box in it's beautiful new environment!
Thank you for joining me in my adventures of HoarderRehab!
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