No More Junk Drawer: Revamping Our Family Keepsakes

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Mother’s Day is a huge occasion in my family. Every year, one sibling takes the reins and hosts the festivities. This year, it was my turn. With just three days to go before the family dinner, I was feeling pretty proud of myself. For once, I was on track—guests had been invited, the menu was set, and the house was nearly spotless.

Typically, I’m satisfied with a functional level of tidiness, but since our home was the chosen venue for both sides of the family, I felt the need to spruce things up. I tackled the obvious cleaning tasks first, but then I found myself with a bit of time left and decided to confront the one area that always bugged me: our junk drawer.

I truly believe that even the most organized families have that one drawer where old phone numbers, appliance warranties, and half-remembered recipes go to die. Ours is located in the kitchen, right by the phone. One day, when I tried to stuff a pencil inside, it popped back out at me like it had a mind of its own. That was my sign—it was time to clean out the drawer. I knew this task was my responsibility, much like the dust lurking under the fridge.

Once the kids were off to school, I armed myself with a hefty garbage bag and prepared to be ruthless. If I couldn’t recall who a phone number belonged to, I wasn’t going to call and play detective. And if a warranty was older than my marriage certificate, it was definitely going out. My goal was to finally see the bottom of that drawer.

As I sifted through various 3×5 cards filled with cake recipes, mismatched thank-you notes, and mysterious springs, I hit my first emotional roadblock: a drawing of “Mommy” created by my 6-year-old. The date on it and the misspelled words tugged at my heartstrings. I remembered the pride on his face when I complimented his work. That picture was a keeper.

Next, I stumbled upon an envelope that rattled when I picked it up. It was sealed with layers of old tape, and as I opened it, sand and tiny pebbles spilled onto the floor. Ah yes, my daughter’s beach memories! She had been so enamored with the ocean that she insisted on bringing back sand and stones from her shoes. I couldn’t just toss it, so I swept it up, put it back in the envelope, and returned it to the drawer.

From there, it was a downhill journey filled with small hearts from Valentine’s Day, rainbow drawings, and little notes that always declared “I love you.” I lost track of time, reminiscing about each piece I found. My garbage bag was no longer growing.

After a few hours of revisiting memories, I realized how quickly kids grow up. Soon, all we’ll have left are these little letters and the warmth they bring. I decided that instead of cleaning out the drawer, I should simply label it accurately. I grabbed a broken crayon and a scrap of paper and wrote “TREASURES” to stick on the drawer. Because let’s be honest, these aren’t just random items—they’re precious reminders of our children, making every Mother’s Day a celebration of love.

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In summary, what once was a mere junk drawer transformed into a treasure trove of memories, reminding me of the joy and love that fills our home.