Brave Little Toaster

When my brother was little (He'll probably kill me for writing about this), So when he was little he watched a movie called the Brave Little Toaster (read the plot summary here). Which to my mothers dismay was probably the worst thing she could have done for her "Garage Sale Pile". The Brave Little Toaster is a cute little cartoon about a radio, a lamp, an electric blanket, a vacuum, an air conditioner, and a toaster. The appliances have been left in a family cabin for many years by their "master", a young child. Every time a car passes, they swarm to an overlooking window, hoping that he has returned. Time goes buy and the appliances learn that they cabin is for sale and that the master has left them behind....Long story short; My brother decides that all his "things" have souls and feel sad when they are sold or left behind. So begins the toting around of all his toys. Not one thing could ever be thrown away or sold. Because "it would be so sad!"

I recently sold something pretty dear to me, something I've I had for alot of years, something I bought as Megan Shea, not Megan Sayer. A "thing" that symbolized the last thing of my years before Erick, even before Allee :) It was sort of a sad moment. I know it's just a "thing" but I was reminded by my mother about the Brave Little Toaster and wondered if my "thing" was sad I gave it away. Left it in a space to be put out to pasture. As I was driving away from leaving it in it's final place a tear came to my eye, A flood of memories came rushing back, memories of some sad times, memories of happy times, memories of different stages of my life.

My husband sometimes teases me about a little weathered and worn stuffed duck I have. When Erick and I had just gotten engaged we went to visit is grandparents in Idaho. We spent our last day together outside the Idaho Falls temple. As you are driving up the street the river is swarmed with ducks. I turned to Erick and teasingly said to him; "I want a duck!, Can I have duck?" he just laughed at me, thought I was crazy and we drove on. That Christmas as we exchanged gifts deep inside his wrapping job was a yellow stuffed duck. I opened it and gave him a puzzled look and he said "you asked me for a duck....and I got you one" I don't remember one other thing he got me that year, but I still carry around my duck because it is the symbol to me of my husbands love. Some people have notes or jewelry, I have a duck.

I realize how attached I get to those "things" in my life. The things that you can pick up and a flash of a memory comes to you. Remembering the first time you did something, the last time you did something. Something that was with you during the hard times in your life.

So as we embark this weekend on our garage sale I wonder how many of my "things" will be sad that we are selling them.