Thank You For The Love

I’m cleaning out my storage unit with a goal of nothing stored by the end of the year.  Not only will that save me $145 a month, it will also help simplify my life.

It’s funny how after Ted and Lateef died, I really wanted to get rid of a lot of stuff.  It’s almost as if I’ve decided that after I lost two of the most important people in my life, other things really had little meaning.  More succinctly, my losses are making me re-evaluate what’s really important in my life.  That’s a good thing, right?

Well, last month I made my journey to the storage unit to get boxes.  Remember my goal?  Five to seven boxes a month—out of the storage unit—into my garage—and out of my garage in a few days. 

I brought 7 boxes with me and one of them caught my attention immediately.  The box was marked “Sympathy and Get Well Cards”.  I put it to the side with the idea that I’d get to it, but it kept calling me so I sat down and opened the box.

Wow!!  Memories came flooding back as I looked through the cards and read the verses and personal messages from friends and family.  I remembered reading every single one of the Get Well cards to Ted and his smile as I read the sender’s name.  I remember reading the Sympathy cards—in a mind blur sometimes but thankful, nonetheless.  Also in that box was a set of index cards--the ones Rashida used for the tribute video for Ted.  All the words of love from his friends and family--the words that made him smile on a day that he thought he'd never smile again.  Today, rather than tears, I felt happiness that individuals would take time from their busy schedules to send messages of support to Ted and to me.  What a show of love this box was.  No wonder I had to hold onto them.  What shall I do with them?

I love scrapbooking and I know that I’m going to put together a memorial scrapbook for Ted and Lateef.  I haven’t had the courage to embark upon this project yet.  Maybe a year or two down the line I’ll feel more like it.  Until then, just looking at the sea of support is enough.

Thank you friends and family from the bottom of my heart.  And as Ted would say, “My heart is full.”