This is my wedding dress and veil. From 1974. It was not packed carefully away or "preserved". It was literally stuffed in a plastic box. And I really thought I had gotten rid of this years ago! This was not a "designer wedding gown". I know that I mentioned in a previous blog that I got this out of a bargain list and paid $19 for it. I did buy the head piece and veil and actually paid more for them than the dress! When I THOUGHT I got rid of it, I must have had some hesitation. For some reason, I shoved it in a storage bin. I am so thankful right now that I did that.
I know that most likely no one else will ever want to wear this dress. Gwen and Susie both have amazing wedding dresses that were professionally preserved in case one of their children wants to use them. But I have a strong feeling that somewhere down the line, one of those grandchildren will be thankful that I saved this dress. Not for the dress, but for the memories. I have spent hours and hours preserving pictures of events, people and places. And I am beginning to understand how important it is to have physical things to go along with the memories.
I am so thankful that these two items have been preserved and they are now in Gwen's hands. The top picture is the cedar chest that belonged to my grandmother, Nora Toensing. My mom had this chest (along with her own cedar chest) and she gave it to me when she moved into her apartment. I had this in my home for many years, and passed it on to Gwen when she got married. Now it is particularly special since Lia's middle name is Nora and someday she may get this chest. The ring is extremely special to me. I remember my mom talking about this ring.....well ALWAYS! This ring was her mothers wedding ring and it was given to my mom's sister Bea. Aunt Bea had no children and when she died, my mom received all of her belongings. Finally, my mom got this ring and really enjoyed it for several years. She felt very strongly that I should have this ring and I knew I needed to pass it on to Gwen. There is something very powerful in holding these objects that had belonged to my grandmother. Especially important because we never really knew her. I could see it in my mom's eyes when she looked at that ring and imagined her mother wearing it.
So just like the very solid and clear footprints that I have been blogging about, sometimes it is good to have solid and firm objects to touch and hold. I felt a flood of memories when I looked at my wedding dress and touched the fabric. So many things came back to my mind. And I was amazed at how very, very SMALL this dress was (I mean, really, was I that small, way back then???? I guess I was!).
As I began to write this blog, I was filled with the thought of the Communion Table. This might seem silly, but to me, these elements, the bread and wine - real objects - that you can touch and taste so increase the meaning for me. I love that Jesus used everyday objects to convey a special Spiritual message - His very real presence for us. And tonight, I am thankful for objects that are physical reminders of important "footprints" in my life. Yes, this whole thought changes the way I view the things that I have saved. And I think it will change how I decide WHAT I will save from here on out! May need a few more storage boxes!
Jesus, thank you for knowing us so well and providing connections for us through things that we can see, feel, touch and taste. Holy Spirit, thank you for drawing me down the path to understand the importance of preserving not only memories in pictures, but also objects. Thank you for yet another depth of understanding to the footprints on my spiritual path. Amen
No comments:
Post a Comment