Treasures of an Old Coat

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The unpredictability of the pain or joy brought from an old memory is in part what makes it so very special. I was reminded of this tonight as I sorted through the pockets of an old coat that had been lost in the sea of clutter, deep within our storage room.

We recently learned of a leak to the storage area, likely caused from the winds of Hurricane Mathew. We decided to go through all it's contents to see if any of our belongings had been damaged. Several bags of clothes were able to be salvaged, thanks to the help of a bottle of white vinegar and a thorough washing, but several bags had to be thrown out.

Thankful for the minimal loss, what was waiting for me in the last bag was truly an added bonus. I was happy to see an old coat of mine. Not because it's style particularly appealed to me, but because it took me back to a different time in my life. A time when my relationship with my now husband, was still relatively new. I remembered wearing the coat on our date when he proposed and was excited to see what the contents of it's pockets held.

I was surprised to find a post it note from one of the hospitals my mother was in. On top of the note, given to me by a nurse, was her room number, 223. If you've read my older posts, you are aware of why this number is so special.

Digging a little deeper I found a piece of paper with her hand writting. If you knew her at all, you already know she was constantly doodling and making random lists. On this one in particular she was trying to sort out her monthly bills. It was a sad reminder of her monthly struggles. She was disabled, yet managed to keep her house payment and other bills current with a total income of only $698 per month. How many things she must have wanted and never gotten or needed and did without.

Next was the hospital bracelet from me being admitted the day of her burial. We really didn't expect me to leave there without our baby girl, but God miraculously decided to help me keep her in there a bit longer, despite the nightmare I just endured.

Finally, I pulled out 2 love notes written to me by the man who is now my husband, in the early stages of our relationship. One was dated just a month prior to our original proposed wedding date, and the other right before our 1st Christmas together. Folded in with them was a Christmas list. It contained the names of all our family and friends with gift ideas beside them. I had no idea that we be my last one with my mother's name on it.

Each item, significant in it's own way, accompanied by it's own emotion. Each memory, a little stronger then the last, taking me back to that time in my life that forever changed everything I had ever known about myself. Memories both good and bad that would one day lead me here to this day, learning to never underestimate the treasures of an old coat.