PopsJunkDrawer

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A few years ago, I helped my parents move across the state. As a family, we spent time sorting through a house that had been lived in for nearly 40 years. We shared laughs, uncovered memories, and stumbled onto pieces of the past that brought childhood rushing back.

One moment that stuck with me was packing up my father’s dresser. Inside a few old boxes were what I believed, as a kid, to be the coolest collection of mysterious treasures. There were knives, risque playing cards (which were often moved out of my reach), class rings, watches, tie clips, matchbooks, shoehorns, tie tacks, coins, marbles, and a little bit of everything else. If it came out of my dad’s pocket and it wasn’t lint, it landed in one of those crowded wooden boxes.

I think about what I carry now. A wallet, smartphone, a comb, and some keys. Nothing all that exciting. But back then, every piece had a story. Where were you when you put it in your pocket? Why did you keep it for so long? Who were you with when it mattered?

There’s something timeless about the small things we hang onto. They carry weight, even when they seem ordinary. That’s what I’m trying to share with you here.