That old chest of drawers

Our writing group comes up with some great writing prompts that we take home write about and bring to our next meeting. This is the latest. At first I thought this one would be hard until I started writing. Every journey begins with one step.


That old chest of drawers

Looking around my house I noted that I don't have a chest of drawers either old or new. What stood out was the china cabinet that had belonged to my mother. Not being much of a collector she mostly used it for keeping her bills and papers in one place. When my mother died we had it shipped from Seattle to New Mexico. When it arrived we realized the glass shelves were missing so we had new ones made.

Being the collector that my mother was not the cabinet now houses a variety of meaningful mementos. The top shelf is filled with Precious Moments figurines. The most endearing is a little mouse sitting on a bed of lettuce in a prayerful position. The caption is "Lettuce Pray". The most unusual is a small pink and white chest with the word mother on top. It originally contained a pair of pink earrings and was a gift from my daughter. 

The second shelf is overflowing with my grandmother's Hummel collection. It was passed on to me by my grandfather after she died. I remember dusting these little figures as a child and they have always been a part of my life. They would be the last thing I would  sell if I needed money.

Memories of my life sit on the next shelf. There is an ivory gavel made for me when I was the presiding officer in Job's Daughters and the International Order of Rainbow for Girls as a teenager and the Order of Amaranth as an adult. My daughter used it when she was a Rainbow Girl. There are two miniature Avon President Club statues and a clear plate stating "Best New Performer Award" 1996-1997. Several blown glass pieces and a couple of glass hearts also make their home on this shelf.

The last shelves mostly contain the beautiful cut glass dishes and plates that were among my grandmother's prized possessions. They are still used on special occasions. I remember the day they became mine. It was my grandfather's 90th birthday and we had gathered to celebrate. He told me to take what I wanted because he would soon be moving to the Masonic Home. My choices were lovingly packed in our luggage, carefully wrapped in clothes to keep them safe on the flight home.

 My china cabinet holds memories of four generations and oddly has a special little quirk of its own. The back wall of the cabinet is inserted with glass which had a flaw in the shape of a Kokapelli; perhaps indicating that my house in New Mexico is exactly where it is supposed to be.