Broken (D321)

I have what you might call a quirk. I don’t like to use things right away after I get them. I like to leave them in their original packaging and just enjoy them in their pristine condition for a while. The length of time I leave them that way often is in direct correlation to the size, cost, and amount of time I waited to get the new thing. My Breville juicer is a perfect example. I got it for Christmas and didn’t unbox it until months later.

This also translates to not using things that are special or sentimental, even if they are meant to be utilitarian. For example, wedding dishes, autographed books, and special mugs.

With my recent detox diet, however, I chucked most of the plastic we were using and now we are using more mugs instead of plastic cups and the good wedding dishes instead of plastic plates and bowls. There are certain sets for the kids and adults… even certain mugs that are just for Mommy because they represent either a time or place that holds some meaning.

One such mug is red and white with hearts… nothing special to an onlooker, but to me it’s incredibly valuable. It was a gift from a student in my first classroom. She was the ring leader and the supposedly the hardest one to reach. Over the course of the year, we bonded and she became one of the brightest spots in my day. This morning, the handle of that mug was broken off completely. My heart broke a little.

Another favorite mug is the tall one with Paris and the Eiffel Tower on it. It’s a memento my hubby bought me when he took me to Vegas and we visited the Paris Hotel. Since it’s always been my dream to visit Paris, we joked that he fulfilled that and bought a mug to remember it. This afternoon, that mug was chipped beyond repair. My heart broke a little more.

I’m not a hoarder, which is why the few things I do keep as memories of times past are special to me. I know they are just things and I do keep them in perspective. But for today, this picture makes me sad.