Right after Don died, I went to the eye doctor. Guess what? I needed reading glasses. I thought since I was so nearsighted I would have a time where my eyes would be normal before doing the thing they do when one is approaching 50. Oh well. The glasses arrived and I was not prepared. I needed a glasses case.
I knew the hospital gift shop had some cute stuff, so I went there after a meeting one day. However, they didn’t have any glasses cases for sale. They did give me one from the back room, which I appreciated. It was brown vinyl with the “ICU” (really) written on it. Not cute, but practical and I appreciated the gesture.
Fast forward to a few weeks ago. My youngest and I were in a little shop in Bruges, Belgium. I saw a colorful glasses case I immediately liked and bought. I took my glasses out of my brown vinyl ICU case and put them in the cute new one. After a little ceremony, I dropped the old case into the garbage can outside the store and walked away. Why did I have a little ceremony?
Leaving that glasses case in Belgium represented many things to me. I was leaving emotions and feelings behind. I was leaving objects behind. I was traveling to new places, trying new things. A recharged life full of adventure and growth. I still have my downs, but have so many ups. I look at my glasses case and appreciate it for protecting my even newer reading glasses and for representing my continuing to go forth with my life.
PS You know how I announced I am going to be a grandma? I learned I will be spoiling a granddaughter! Woo Hoo!
