What Would You Save?

Slice of Life: Day 19

Linda Sue Park's The One Thing You'd Save is a poetic, thought-provoking picture book. On the opening pages, a teacher gives her class an assignment; to think about the one thing they'd save if their home were on fire. All people and pets are safe, and the object's size is irrelevant.

My best friend, a fantastic librarian in the State College area, told me about the book this morning. It's a perfect post of our Slice of Life challenge. My friend, no doubt, is writing about the same book. I thank him for the idea because sometimes it's difficult to find a topic. My apologies for stealing his idea. 

Some of the things I wouldn't save may surprise people that know me. And I have no doubt my answer today will be different than tomorrow's and a year from now.

I wouldn't save the cross because the sacrifice and gift of grace are etched in my heart. I wouldn't save a picture of my dad because I can find photos of him somewhere else. I don't need a framed degree to be proud of my achievements, and my favorite books and memorabilia, like photographs, can be found elsewhere. U2 is on Spotify. The camera roll is in the cloud. 

There's a frame on our fireplace mantle with our home's latitude/longitude coordinates - I wouldn't save that either. A house doesn't make a home. I certainly wouldn't keep the sticker, yes, a sticker that I received after teaching twenty years. So demeaning. I'd consider the flash drive with all my stories saved. But I doubt it.

In a fire, everything you own becomes less important. In this particular fire, everyone you love is standing huddled together. Safe.

We used to huddle around the dinner table. We still do, I suppose, but it's different. If we were to look at ourselves in the past eating dinner as a family, we'd ask, "Who are those people?" I hope that is a place we can return – without the yelling, bickering and complaining. Without the…

I can't even finish the sentence. Nothing hurts more than our family's growing pains. So, the dinner table is out, and I'll let the sectional in the family room burn as well.

But if I had to save something, it'd be the sign hanging in our kitchen. It reads:

Our family

Is a circle of

Strength

And love. With

Every birth and

Every union

The circle grows

Every joy

Shared

Adds more love

Every crisis faced

Together

Makes the circle stronger

Family. Strength. Joy. Circle.

Circle. 

Circle…

It's a reminder life is cyclical; full of hills, valleys, storms, change, but complete with growth, joy and wonder.

We began this journey together on a circular path. No matter how narrow or wide the path, no matter how much we trudge along forging new trails, we are always on the circle. 

We are a circle of strength.