disaster or blessing

posted by - dee

My family and I were enjoying a nice labor day at home and my husband said "did you do this?" I looked up from the cup of coffee expecting to see my purses contents dumped onto the floor ala Sophia but instead noticed that Brian was wading in about 3 inches of water - on our hardwood floors! My washing machine had emptied out the bottom on the machine and there were about 20 gallons of water in our laundry room, 1/2 bath, into the hall-way, into the garage and threatening to enter my kitchen. WITHOUT freaking out I calmly went into the garage and grabbed my steam cleaner and started sucking up water. It was not that hard at first. I didn't even have to move the stem cleaner, the water filled up within seconds. Brian was frantically grabbing towels but there were doing no good. I called my neighbor and asked to borrow his shop vac so Brian and I could attack this in the most efficient way.

Twenty gallons later our floors were really clean but when you walked on the floors water would come up between the slats - not good.

This disaster led me to a hall closet that has been long forgotten except for the occasional tornado warning and water disasters - this is not our first. As I was pulling stuff from the closet I began to go through some of the contents to toss out and make room for more junk. Travel brochures, ticket stubs from trips, my many (ha ha) awards from my previous life as a travel agent/corporate trainer, and oh yes, high school notes that were passed to boys I had crushes on and my BFFs from 20 plus years ago. Then there it was - my box from my dating years with Brian. I looked at the long letters he wrote to me while I was a camp counselor in Arkansas, the little notes still paper clipped to the bows that once decorated the dozen roses he sent to me and all my wedding preparations. There was even a poem that he wrote me during that same camp summer. I vacillated between laughing and tearing up as I read his very creative words.

I started to envy this young girl who had such a love struck admirer. From what I could gather from the words of her long-distance lover she was cute, always had a smile on her face, had big beautiful blue eyes and a body that was POW POW POW! My words - not Brian's. She was sweet, positive, compassionate, loved kids and never-ending patients with her campers. He was tall, tan, funny and handsome with a body that was POW POW POW - my words not Brian's. These love letters were there in front of me as proof that there was life before a father dies, before the never ending grind of the stress of life, work, money. Before we put so much focus on our kids and life instead of each other.

And then I went there! What happens when Brian and I are gone one day and my adult children find this stash of love letters? Will they say "that sounds like mom and dad!" or will they think "mom married a different Brian than the author of these letters!"?

I also came across this rare gem. The poem my pepaw wrote to me on the eve of my wedding. He gave it to me at my lingerie party:

A Gift For Sweetie Face

I felt compelled to get a gift for your personal affair
I searched the town and taxed my mind to find this nightly ware
I knew you'd want the very best to impress the love you chose
So I hurried to get this wrapped and placed with the other dainty clothes

There are a few instructions and warnings I must say,
To keep this garment fresh and clean and ready for each day,
Use bubble bath or Leaver soap when you put it in the wash
Detergent, bleach, or lye soap would be painfully too harsh,

Don't put it in the dryer or hang it on the line
Never try to iron it though you'll find it wrinkles with time.
You'll discover the greatest storage from ten p.m. till five,
Is in between two fresh ironed sheets to keep the texture live.

There may be varied consequence for wearing this attire,
But brave it girl, you'll soon have jumped from the pan into the fire.
If you find this gift is too extreme or material doesn't suit,
You may feel you'd like to trade it for a jogging suit and boots.

Under this typed poem was a picture of a smiley face and his way of saying my most important lingerie was a smile and nothing else.