Friday, June 3, 2011

a case of me


the other day, mama handed me a tupperware container and said, "i want you to have this." she had taken it from the attic and, with the help of my dad, brought it down the flight of stairs, where it sat on the hardwood floor. inside were mementos of another life. my childhood. from report cards to pictures of my first days of school, it was all there. all preserved. as if only a few days, maybe months had gone by since my sticky fingers put too much glue on the diaramma.

and i went through it with robert. read aloud the funny, often hilarious, things that were jumbled in my mind at seven years old. the letter i wrote to a non-existent modeling agency detailing every part of my face down to the length of my eyelashes and how beautiful i thought i was. my favorites. my hobbies. my likes and dislikes.

and it got me thinking, when's the last time i filled out a questionnaire that revealed nearly as much about me as the standard elementary school "student of the month" one? i swear, one can tell a lot about girl by her favorite food, favorite holiday and favorite day of the week.

many of those answers would be the same. i still love pasta. still cherish my fridays. still idolize my parents.

but my likes? oh boy, have they changed.

i like hot baths at seven in the evening. i like blueberries coated with fine sugar and tart blackberry jam. i like the way pablo smells in the morning and the way robert's white t-shirts feel when i reach across the bed at night. i like the way joni mitchell sings "oh canada" in the beginning of a case of you. i like the way sunshine weaves through open blinds and spills into rooms around four in the afternoon.

and as sweet as it was to look back, i'm even more excited about looking forward. as long as the future holds lots of pasta on fridays, i'm certain i'll be just fine.

15 comments:

DaisyGirl said...

What a neat gift from your mama! My parents kept our mementos in big folders organized by years. I haven't looked at them in probably 10 years but every time I do look through them, I certainly enjoy it. Lots of laughter and sentimental thoughts!

Hope y'all have a good weekend!

Blondie's Journal said...

I'm happy that you received the box and had a chance to look back on your life. I have saved all the precious things my kids have made me and I hope that they look at all of it with the same enthusiasm! Love this post, Courtney!

XO,
Jane

Bel said...

That is so sweet of your mum to do that :) I will definitely do that for my kids in the future.

<3 Belly B

Dee Paulino said...

what a pretty photo of you!
ahh childhood memories, stumbling upon such treasures is like opening a time capsule

Emily said...

i just LOVE going through old memories like that! Its usually good for a few good laughs especially when I see who my crush's used to be! Have a great weekend!

Meri said...

I just love looking through stuff like this too- I like finding my old stories I wrote as a kid and drawings/ cartoon stories I wrote with my sisters. We were pretty odd, its funny! I still love animal crackers though, so like you some things never change :)

Amber said...

my mom kept a lot of my things from my childhood and gave me them to hold on to. I still like to go through that box and reminisce but you are right, the future is more fun to think about

Anonymous said...

I think if I were to read your letter to the model agency at the age of seven, I would definitely still find each description to be completely true, and add more descriptions behind as well! Because you are beautiful from the inside and out.

Your likes are very much similar to mine, because they are the seemingly "little" things in life. I just love how you put them in such beautiful words.

And I too look forward with excitement!

Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers, dearest!

b. lee said...

* * i like the way joni mitchell sings "oh canada" in the beginning of a case of you. * *

one of my favorite tunes * *

nothin' like relishing in the past ~ absorbing the present & gleaming with hopes of tomorrow * *

I adore ur written words & embrace them in doses ... ~~ cause they are such a treat ;)

k said...

that is so cool that you have something like that to read back on! I kind of miss those myspace quizzes that used to be really popular, i need to go see what i was saying years ago haha :)

erika said...

Being hopeful about the future is a huge gift.

Some Korean Website Highjacker said...

what a supreme treasure, i love that your swell mama kept things like that for you. i know you'll be doing the same thing for your children one day too. our likes do change with age but our essence remains. yours, my dear, is a divine one. the photo makes me smile, you are such a gorgeous soul.

heck yah to joni mitchell's Canada inclusion too, so good! have a terrific week ahead love, thinking of you! ♥

Kaylia Payne said...

Aww what a beautiful trip down memory lane! And your right, there is still so so much to look forward to :)

Eleanor at Mirror Of My World said...

hi, im a new follower. i love your blog! come and visit me. love the way you write- what a special thing to have all those memories from your past! beautiful :) have a great week. x eleanor
www.mirrorofmyworld.blogspot.com

Shalyn said...

I so love that you sent a letter to a modeling agency- I would have loved to know you as kids!

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