Boxes

i am a sentimental fool, the kind that hoards all these useless things simply because there's a memory of some sort attached to it. and i've been doing this for years. one of my most prized posessions in this life are my boxes. I don't remember how it started but ever since I can remember I would keep all these trinkets of mine in boxes until they were so full you couldn't possibly stuff it even more.

I remember when I was ten, as a childhood hobby me and a friend decided to decorate boxes where we would keep the letters we'd send each other. we were a troupe of three so that would mean a lot of exchange letters as the summer dragged on and our adventures took flight. hers was all done pretty in frilly colors and the latest models. Mine was an old shoe box covered with stock exchange graphs and a pink ribbon. this may have been prophetic since i now major in management economics but i loved my box. the dynamic trio, nikki patricia and i, would write each other every day for that summer [1998??] and we'd promise to keep it all in our individual boxes. of course as the years went by the letters dwindled between us three and the paper boxes deteriorated. I'm sorry to say that I no longer have the pioneer box but the habit of keeping my memories in them has not changed. over the years some friends or suitors would hear of this fascination of mine and would gift me with a box, something to store my valuables in.

in the ten or so years i've been doing it i've accumulated 5 boxes as of late. three of them filled to the brim, one almost so and the fifth one contains the beginning of a new set of memories. i have one box that contains all my debut things like the letters i got, the container of the only cake i was able to eat that day and other small things like gift wrappers and gift tags. today i placed two important things in the box i will label the dreamer. it's the valentine's day card i got from M. and a photo he took of the gummy bears [see other post] which reminds him of my ideal photo. it's a fresh start and as i put the red lid on this polka dotted sort i wonder how many more things can i place inside. in a few days time ill be adding the royce box to the mix and perhaps another card -- the friday the thirteenth gift. :) 

the boxes of my life. remeniscent of the old school charm of having bauls inlaid with capiz and crafted with intricate designs.