Family Postcards

Stevie admired her empty cork board. She spent many years carefully removing the postcards from it that she'd saved from family trips. She had them up for so long that it was hard to take them down without getting emotional. The memories were vague, but the feelings, they were strong and powerful.

Stevie knew the postcards couldn't be easily disposed of. She had tried that once before, but the problem was, they were addressed to her. No sooner would she cast them away and they'd find their way back again. Stevie was now a grown woman about to start a family of her own. She was tired of the old postcards arriving unexpectedly, tired of the fights and problems they'd cause when the did arrive. Lines between old memories and the present were blurred, and there was no room for the present day.

It took longer than she expected to look at each one because the postcards only offered glimpses of what her childhood was like. She thoughtfully filled in the gaps where the thumb tacks and tape left holes. She did take delight in some of the memories uncovered. Those memories gave her strength to get through some of the tougher ones. Each day she was one step closer to understanding herself, and with that understanding came peace and resolution.

Life wasn't perfect after she cleared away that old cork board. There were still sad events and moments of disappointment. Stevie handled these moments more easily. She took comfort in knowing that when those postcards would arrive she'd have room to pinpoint them exactly.