Movin' on up!

The past two days have a been a flurry of activity. Moving is always exciting and somewhat debilitating. I couldn't find my toothbrush yesterday. I have no idea where I put my socks and I have the sinking sensation that I threw away the custom house keys I got to surprise my roommate. But all in all, it's a success so far.

In order to save money and be kind to the environment, I decided to take two pieces of old furniture and re-finish them. I don't "do" home improvement projects however and I have no idea what possessed me to think I could take this on. But alas, I bought varnish, a paintbrush, and rubber gloves and set out to make some magic.

Three hours later I was covered head to toe in Dark Walnut varnish and had run through my repertoire of curse words twice. The color of the pieces came out perfectly, but they won't dry. They are still tacky to the touch and I have this terrible fear that they will never dry and I will be unable to move them from the kitchen floor, and we will spend the rest of our time in the townhouse walking around the furniture and spitting on it.

Last night as I was having dinner with my roommates, all three of us curled up on the sofas, I glanced at them over the top of my wine mug (because we're not quite sure where the wine glasses are) and I was immensly happy. Seeing their faces lit up with laughter as we reminisced about our high school days it struck me how so much can change, and yet always stay the same. They are like keys to my memories. Things I'd long forgotten, they remember for me. Bringing stories alive and lighting the way back to a place I used live and a person I used to be.

I sat there, with these two lovely women, these memory keepers that have loved me through thick and thin and felt a rush of gratitude for their presence in my life. Because no pair of shoes, no check in the mail has ever made me laugh the way they do. And no matter what happens I cannot lose the love I have from them or for them. And that's a type of security that can't be bought.