We were going

through the jewellery

box, the bits

and pieces that

I held on

to. It was

a wooden box

with six drawers

made from unvarnished

wood. Each drawer

held something different.

The bottom one

held watches, the

middle two bracelets

and necklaces. The

forth and fifth

drawer held trinkets.

She pointed at

the sixth drawer.

What’s in that one?

It’s my graveyard.

I said quietly.

You’re what?

I have the rings from every failed relationship in there.

Why would you hold on to those? Why would you keep them?

To remember.

What exactly is it that you’re remembering? How the relationships ended?

I looked down

at the rings,

at the symbols

they had been

that had meant

so much to

me. One had

been in the

graveyard so long

that even the

stone had turned

from purple to

black. I looked

at the rings,

at the bonds

that they had

symbolized. Five rings

that had seemed

to mean so

much at the

time, however, their

light had dimmed,

the graveyard dark.

Do you think I should throw them out?

Well, it is your pack and purge party before the big move.

I took the

rings in my

hand and walked

to one of

the garbage bins.

I held out

my hand. I

thought of what

to say, to

commemorate the occasion.

Thanks for nothing.

I said, and

prepared to drop

them in the

garbage. She stopped

me. She shook

her head and

said very firmly.

They weren’t the right men for you. But they were what you needed then.

She looked at

me solemnly and

spoke these words:

Thank you for giving him what he needed then, but now he doesn’t need you anymore. He’s letting you go.

She let go

of my hand

and I let

the rings slide

from my hand

and let go.

She closed the

bag and I

looked toward the

future.

I was in a dark mood,

had been for days.

I walked down the

sidewalk and I passed by

a homeless woman.

I walked a little further

and then stopped.

Here was something

that I could do,

something that would

make me feel better.

I took out a handful

of change and walked

back to the homeless woman.

I put the money

into her battered

McDonald’s cup,

thinking she was probably

going to spend it on

booze or drugs.

It didn’t matter,

I had done my good deed.

I went into the bookstore

to give myself

a Zen moment and

the homeless woman

walked in behind me.

“Do you have that book you put on hold for me? I finally have enough! I got enough to get my book!”

The man behind

the cash went to get

her book and

I stood there, stunned.

I had assumed that

she’d be using the

money I’d given her

for something else

entirely. Never did it

occur to me that

she’d buy a book.

She stood there

holding the book

like a child and

the look on her face,

one of sheer joy

and absolute bliss,

was all I needed

to chase my dark mood

away.

Hey Everyone!

It’s my Wonder Parents wedding anniversary today!

Here’s a picture of them on their wedding day. I wanted to do something for the both of them to celebrate the day they got married and started on their journey together.

Today is a day to celebrate your love and the bond you forged.

I love you Wonder Mom and Wonder Dad.

Love and Huggles to you both.

When You Became We

I remember the day

you both said those

two words.

They seem so simple,

so easy to say

but they invoked

the most powerful

magic that is

still felt today.

Those words gave

one you a husband and

one of you a wife.

Those words declared

to the world

that you were meant

to be together,

that you were soul mates.

Your love has grown

from a small seed to

something that continues

to grow, as if it were

a tree that is

reaching for the sky.

The tree grows

larger and more full

with every year

that passes

and it all started

when You

became We

and the magic

of your love

started to grow.