Keep or Throw Away
Today Will was in the mood to take a three hour nap and I was in the mood to do some organizing during that nap. I decided to tackle my nightstand which was getting harder and harder to close because it was so full and since it was so stuffed I had to start piling crap on top of it.
I began by emptying the top drawer on my bed and began two piles: The Keep pile and the Throw Away pile. As I started sorting, I came across these priceless treasures. Fyi they did make the keep pile:
1) My pregnancy journal when I was pregnant with Van. It's not anything fancy--just a book that was in the goody bag from my first appt. I flipped through and noticed I hadn't recorded the last appointment or my labor and delivery experience. I jotted down enough lines to fit in the pages and promised myself I would give a more detailed account in my real journal. Giving birth is an unforgettable experience and Van's was especially memorable because of the work I went through to get him here. I'll never forget my sister wiping my forehead with a cool cloth, my mom crying, and of course Isaac being the best cheerleader ever.
2) A stack of notes and letters from Isaac. Ever since I fell in love with Isaac I have saved every note he has ever written me. When I put his notes and letters from my nightstand to the at least 5 inch thick file folder labeled "ISAAC" I decided to read through some of the letters in the file folder too. When I was done reading I felt so grateful to have such a loving husband who has not failed to express his love and thank me for being a wonderful wife.
3) A thank you note to me and Isaac from my parents. This note included a hand-written note from my Dad who began with "To my son and daughter" and concluded with "Isaac I hope you don't mind me calling you son because that's how I feel." What a sweet dad. He was always very accepting and loving toward Isaac. I was happy to have found this note. It must have been written 6 years ago when my Dad could still write.
4) A note and prayer rocks from my mentor teacher, Shauna. I was so stressed out my first year of teaching. My poor mentor teacher was always there to listen when I would cry to her. One morning she came to school with a comforting note and 4 prayer rocks with the words "Pray Believe Peace and Joy" painted on them.
5) A few birthday cards. I don't usually save cards, but the ones that have extra nice notes, I keep.
6) A thank you note from a parent of a former student. One year I had the cutest student named Camden in my class. He moved in half way through the year and come to find out his mom was one of my brother's friends back in Fountain Valley, CA. What a small world! She wrote me the sweetest note at the end of the year thanking me for making Cam's transition so easy and for making learning so enjoyable for him.
7) A file folder with photos: Me and Isaac holding William, the birthday poster the nurse made me for my 27th birthday with a picture of Will. He had a feeding tube and IV, but it was how he looked on my birthday and in fact he didn't need the feeding tube by the end of the day--what a great birthday present!
Usually organizing is overwhelming and exhausting, but today it was a great uplift and I left the project feeling loved and thankful for loved ones in my life and the experiences I've had.
I began by emptying the top drawer on my bed and began two piles: The Keep pile and the Throw Away pile. As I started sorting, I came across these priceless treasures. Fyi they did make the keep pile:
1) My pregnancy journal when I was pregnant with Van. It's not anything fancy--just a book that was in the goody bag from my first appt. I flipped through and noticed I hadn't recorded the last appointment or my labor and delivery experience. I jotted down enough lines to fit in the pages and promised myself I would give a more detailed account in my real journal. Giving birth is an unforgettable experience and Van's was especially memorable because of the work I went through to get him here. I'll never forget my sister wiping my forehead with a cool cloth, my mom crying, and of course Isaac being the best cheerleader ever.
2) A stack of notes and letters from Isaac. Ever since I fell in love with Isaac I have saved every note he has ever written me. When I put his notes and letters from my nightstand to the at least 5 inch thick file folder labeled "ISAAC" I decided to read through some of the letters in the file folder too. When I was done reading I felt so grateful to have such a loving husband who has not failed to express his love and thank me for being a wonderful wife.
3) A thank you note to me and Isaac from my parents. This note included a hand-written note from my Dad who began with "To my son and daughter" and concluded with "Isaac I hope you don't mind me calling you son because that's how I feel." What a sweet dad. He was always very accepting and loving toward Isaac. I was happy to have found this note. It must have been written 6 years ago when my Dad could still write.
4) A note and prayer rocks from my mentor teacher, Shauna. I was so stressed out my first year of teaching. My poor mentor teacher was always there to listen when I would cry to her. One morning she came to school with a comforting note and 4 prayer rocks with the words "Pray Believe Peace and Joy" painted on them.
5) A few birthday cards. I don't usually save cards, but the ones that have extra nice notes, I keep.
6) A thank you note from a parent of a former student. One year I had the cutest student named Camden in my class. He moved in half way through the year and come to find out his mom was one of my brother's friends back in Fountain Valley, CA. What a small world! She wrote me the sweetest note at the end of the year thanking me for making Cam's transition so easy and for making learning so enjoyable for him.
7) A file folder with photos: Me and Isaac holding William, the birthday poster the nurse made me for my 27th birthday with a picture of Will. He had a feeding tube and IV, but it was how he looked on my birthday and in fact he didn't need the feeding tube by the end of the day--what a great birthday present!
Usually organizing is overwhelming and exhausting, but today it was a great uplift and I left the project feeling loved and thankful for loved ones in my life and the experiences I've had.
Comments