One Medium Suitcase

Here’s what’s going down. I’m being taken away from my home, family, and friends and only have one hour to pack the items I want to take in a medium size suitcase. I can’t take any electronics or technology driven items. These are the things I would grab:

First, I would take my great grandfather’s wedding ring. I never got to meet that set of great grandparents because they died before I was born. It is engraved From Anna to Edwin 1929 and makes me feel close to my family, even the family I never met.

I would take my fuzzy pink blanket my dad got me for my birthday when I was younger. That particular birthday I told my dad he had to pick out a present all by himself and he got me the blanket. I sleep with it all the time and it would remind me of my dad when I started to miss him.

I would bring the Bible I got for Christmas two years ago because it is very special to me. Being away from my family and friends would be very difficult and reading scripture would be comforting and help me keep faith.

I would bring my scarf I received from my sister Amanda. She got it on a trip to Europe and I think of her every time I wear it. It would remind me of all the time I got to spend with her and all the places she has been able to see.

Although I already have a blanket, I would also bring the small St. Louis Cardinals blanket my family gave me. One of my favorite things is spending time with my dad at Cardinals games. Our family loves the Cardinals so it would also remind me of the times I spent with my cousins cuddled up under the blankets watching games at their house.

My giraffe pillow pet would have to be stuffed into the suitcase as well. My sister bought it for me on a late night trip to Wal-Mart when our power was out at home. I had wanted one for a long time and it always reminds me of her and all the random things we do together. I always bring it when I stay with my cousins because my little cousin loves to snuggle with it so it would remind me of all the sleepovers I’ve had with them.

I would bring A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. I stole the book from my sister when she was reading it. I was young at the time and it was the first novel I had ever read. I would think of my sister and reading it would give me optimism for whatever situation I was in because of the theme of hope in the book.

A “Keepsake Box” full of letters, family pictures, and keepsakes would also be stuffed into my bag. It has notes from sweet customers, letters from far away friends, keepsakes from my summer camp, and many things from throughout my childhood. I would be able to reminisce on the great childhood I had and remember all the sweet people that are most important to me in my life.

I would have to pack at least one Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader. My mom and I are connoisseurs of random knowledge and I’ve grown up learning random knowledge from this series of books. It would remind me of my mother and give me something to keep myself occupied.

Lastly, I would pack the pictures I have in frames around my room. I have pictures of me with my dad, childhood photos, photos from big events like prom, and pictures of my best friends in frames they have made for me. These pictures are of the people close to my heart and I would be able to look at them every day.