My favorite sister came over yesterday after she got off work before going home to her family late last night just to help me put some things together in our house. We got some things in Carson's room and in the common bathroom hung up, and managed to put more things away in my kitchen, making it almost fit for company. She has such a great eye for placement and accessorizing, decorating and organizing! In addition to all the great ideas she gave me, I got some advice and encouragement on how to stay focused on my tasks and to not allow myself to become distracted by other things that need doing- something I struggle with when there is an overwhelming number of things to get done!
When my grandmother passed away over 10 years ago now, I was given a few of her things for my home, one of which was a beautiful white gravy boat. I love it's classicly elegant design, and was able to enjoy it's use on special occaisions for a few years before my keen-eyed hubby noticed a loooong hairline crack in it on Thanksgiving almost four years ago. He informed me that we couldn't continue using it, or the temperature of it's contents would make the cracking worse. I was sad that I couldn't include her gravy boat in the entourage of platters and serveware I put out for the meal, and thinking it ruined, I cried.
Craig comforted and hugged me, promising that we would get it fixed. (God I love that man!) After wiping my tears we found another dish for the gravy, ate our Thanksgiving dinner, and carefully put the gravy boat somewhere it would be safe from disturbance, by itself on the top shelf of a cabinet, until we would take it somewhere for repair.
There the gravy boat stayed undisturbed for nearly four years until my mom came over to help me pack for our latest move. We were packing my plates, platters, and serveware when my mom suggested I put the gravy boat in a box with some other things. I explained to her that it was cracked and shouldn't be packed with anything else- I wanted it double bubble-wrapped and packed securely into it's own small box. My mom placated me, wrapping it twice lovingly and gently placing it into a samll box, even packing more bubble wrap around it in the crevices of the box. She labeled the box "G.G.B. FRAGILE" on all sides with our fat moving marker so that everyone in the family would know to be extra careful with that box because it contained "Grandma's Gravy Boat". The box rode in the car with me for the drive to the new house. Ridiculous? Yes, but sometimes that's me- over the top. I didn't want anything more to happen to it!
Last night my sister asked what was in that box and when I told her, she informed me that there is no way to fix it and that I need to just throw it out. I got teary-eyed again, and she told me,"I know how you feel. I broke one of her dishes too, and I even cried about it after I did it, but it's not your grandma, it's a gravy boat," and while I agreed with her and put it next to the trash can to be taken out, this morning I am feeling gravy boat remorse. I'm starting to consider how I will feel if I throw it away and then learn that it could have been repaired. Afterall, I remember the day she broke her dish, and I remember Michael and my mom comforting her, with the same words, like Craig had comforted me. BUT.... her dish was actually broken in two, and mine has just a hairline crack. (Listen to me justify my inability to let it go). Maybe mine CAN be repaired! Does anyone know? I need to ask around and do a little research before I decide to throw it away.
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