WHAT'S IN A NAME...

See this box above?

Full of pigs in a blanket for VBS today.

This simple, yellow, Tupperware box caused a strange reaction in me.

Aware that I would be leaving it in the "deli",

I knew I needed to write my name on it.

And oddly, I found I didn't want to.

Not my married name.

But my maiden name.

Because this box is from my mom.

It is full of memories from my childhood.

It is the box she stored the honey bars in.

It is the box she used for those pecan puff things, rolled in powder sugar,

she made at Christmas time.

The box made many a varsity basketball pregame trips.

It reminds me of my sisters and parents.

Of the group we used to be, and still are when we get the chance.

I liked that little group.

I loved that group.

I am proud of that group.

The box has always been a part of my life as I can remember.

And I could not bring myself to ignore that fact.

But I knew if I wrote my maiden name,

it might never find its way home to me.

So I compromised.

With myself.

That may be more telling than I realize about a lot of things.

I wrote my maiden name on one side,

and my married name on the other.

When I finished, I stared at it and thought how odd the whole emotional response was.

I mean it is just an empty Tupperware box.

Physically.

Emotionally, it is packed full of memories, good memories.

Mom was going to give it away.

I am going to cling to it.

Maybe one day the MCs will have fond memories of that little box.