Mairi, Truth be told… I have a little crush on your Mini Cooper too. ;-)

Like you, to this day, I too am not emotionally attached to things. I do have a little crush on my mini cooper (true confessions) .

I think this event, many would call life shattering, was a liberation. A call to value what really matters friends, family, experiences versus stuff, things, or as I like to call them clutter.

At the time we got to live downtown Toronto in a fully furnished condo while our house was rebuilt for almost a year. We replaced some things. It was like a do-over. And in the end it was a fun experience. It may be my 15 minutes to fame, as the newspaper headlines read “Showering woman rescued by sanitation worker”…

Sounds like a good prologue for a book.

Mairi

For years I lugged boxes of books, keepsakes, CDs, DVDs etc etc. I carried them upstairs, downstairs, dusted them – constantly convincing myself that I needed these things to make me whole.

It’s awful what happened – but every event, journey and cloud has a silver lining; or, a silver line: “I learned there is no point in holding onto what simply does not exist anymore.”

I became so tired of material possessions so when various life events changed my view significantly, I was both relieved and liberated. So much so, that when I was married, we didn’t take any photos or want any gifts. We had rings, but even those are, well, at the end of the day, just bands of metal.

We can justify so much via the human ability to attach symbolism to inanimate objects; yet, what’s truly important is the flesh and blood of ourselves and the people we love.

Our minds are so well developed, there isn’t an iPhone or camera that can come close to the shots we have in our memories.

We tend to consume things when in reality, as artists and people, we should be ‘experiencing’ as much as possible.

You have your memories Judy. They couldn’t steal those. In the same way as nobody can stop you writing them down. You can recreate the images, foibles, voices, appearances and emotions of all the people in your life, past and present – with words.

You’re doing it already.

Best wishes, Luke

Thank you for this. And for you. Big love.

Judy,

Your voice as a story-teller is powerful. I saw every moment you described as if I were watching a movie. I know you’re probably supposed to see everything you read like that, but there was just something special about this – and the style in which you wrote – that completely transported me out of my office and into your memory. Personal. Intimate. Sad. Strong. Real. Raw. Detailed.

I could write so many good things about what you’ve shared here – from a “craft” point of view. From a human point of view, I want to just give you a hug.

You’re one of the most talented people blogging today. And *that’s* no exaggeration.

It’s not such a bad lesson to learn; it’s true that our marriages are far more important than our wedding rings – which after all are only meant to be symbols of the real thing. I’m glad yours came back tough.

Yours,
Megan

Sue, yes, I feel that too, the sense of discovery when I learn something important about someone I care for. (Every single post Lisa Adams has ever written.) ;-)

Jane, I will cut out your comment and put it on my bulletin board. That means a lot to me coming from one as talented as yourself.

Judy, I was crazy. No doubt. Thank you for commenting.