Storytelling Sunday: A Toy Story Moment

The first Sunday of every month, Sian of From High in the Sky hosts Storytelling Sunday, an opportunity for story tellers from all around the world to share a tale. In 2013, Sian has encouraged people to discuss those precious objects which they hold dear. You can find this week's stories by visiting this link.

The whirlwind of Henry's high school graduation ceremony, grad night celebration and the carousel of  graduation parties is over. The hustle and bustle is gone, and the house is strangely silent these days. Henry is visiting Costa Rica on a "Senior Trip" with 39 other lucky graduates whose parents ponied up the money to send them on one last high school adventure. I'm taking the opportunity to clean up and reorganize his room.  I toss out mountains of old paper and donate outgrown clothes to charity. I pack  up his hats from Little League baseball teams, t-shirts from All-Stars and assorted trophies into boxes destined for the attic. Toys and stuffed animals are placed in a donation box. Brio trains and Matchbox cars will be saved in the attic; maybe his children will use them one day. I'm almost done, when I come across George.

Curious George was Henry's constant companion when he was a baby, toddler and preschooler. He slept with him, packed him up on trips and took him to day care for nap time. There are other things in this box: Rollo the Rhino (who Henry won at a fun fair in Killarney Town on our first trip to Ireland); a souvenir bag from one of our many train trips that I know is stuffed with marbles; a puzzle box from Budapest that no one remembers how to open; signed baseballs from Spring Training. But nothing has the weight of memory and love of George. I can't bear to box him up just yet. I take him out and place him on the shelf next to Henry's diploma, soccer cleats and University of Oregon orientation materials. George might not make the trip to Eugene in the fall, but, for now, he's too precious to make the trip to the attic.