I’ve decided to get rid of this:
I received this suitcase from my grandparents, when I was no more than 6 years old. I clearly remember getting it, and it’s one of the few specific memories I have of the inside of their old farmhouse.
For the past 10 years (or more) it has held doll clothes. Doll clothes that were waiting to be passed on to my own daughter.
A few weeks ago, my daughter saw this suitcase sitting on the shelf at the top of her closet, and asked me to get it down. She immediately claimed the doll clothes, and wanted to pack the suitcase full of her own clothes for an overnight backyard camping trip with her brothers (which lasted for an entire 40 minutes due to heat, mosquitoes . . . and “noises”).
But the bottom of the suitcase looked like this:
Yes, those are screws sticking out that were once covered with plastic knobs. While not sharp, these things hurt if you rub against them the wrong way. Three kids in a small tent for even just 40 minutes . . . and someone would rub against them the wrong way.
So, the suitcase has been abandoned. It served a purpose, and is a sweet memory, but it is no longer safe.
I threw it away.
Some things are worth keeping. Some things can be repurposed to be enjoyed in a whole new way. But once things have served their purpose, and can’t be used without getting out a hacksaw or risking scratched floors/walls/kids, I need to let them go.
I don’t like these hard decisions.
