Life by Grace Alone

I am a paper collector. Cards, notes, and brochures from past vacations mark the last 43 years of my life as they lay scattered in drawers and boxes in no order at all . I am also a procrastinator. Dealing with  these odds and ends is on my list right under cleaning out the medicine cabinet. My Vermont daughter, Laura  is downsizing, inspired by u-tube videos created by a woman who addresses the subject of organizing in almost every way possible. My Virginia daughter, Jessica caught the bug from her sister. Soon I was helping her sort through her clothes. "How many pairs of jeans does one person need?" was one of the many questions we asked each other as her pile of castoffs grew. This bug can be contagious and soon I was the one with the growing pile of castoff clothes. Dresses, pants, and tops, many that once were prize possessions became victims of logic and the careful appraisal of my daughter, friend, and fashion guru. When the last piece of clothing was either banned ...

This Valentine's Day   marked what would have been my parents wedding anniversary. In 1942 they were married in a quiet ceremony in my mother's home. My mother's pastor did the service. My paternal grandmother provided the cake. Only the immediate family was present in addition to a few friends. They had a best man and a maid of honor. Their "honeymoon" consisted of a trip to Baltimore to their new apartment. As I think back on my parents I can not remember anything that would make me think they would choose Valentines  Day as their wedding day. Perhaps the constant presence of the 5 of us may have hidden the clues that would have solved this mystery. I remember the first time I saw the picture of my parents as teenagers on the boardwalk at Ocean City, Md. They were sitting on a bench, that today might hold girls dressed in suits that barely cover them or older gentlemen whose bellies hang over their bermuda shorts. During my mother's years of dating, the ...