Thinking of You

I am so lucky to have such wonderful people in my life and every day there are little things that remind me of them.
Every morning, when I put on my face lotion, I am reminded of my grandma Schroeder. There is something about the smell of the lotion that instantly transports me back in time. I am again a little girl in Grandma and Grandpa's bathroom, where the scent of Grandma was always strongest - probably because that is where she kept her perfumes and lotions along with the crocheted covers for the toilet paper rolls.
In a vase I received from my grandfather's wife, I still have a yellow seashell rose that was given to me by one of my closest friends growing up. Seeing it reminds me of all those hours we spent making collages for each other, the summer walks to 7-11 for slushies and the crushes we had on the boys at FunPlex.
In the window right above my computer, a red star hangs from the window lock. One of my dearest friends gave this to our family for Christmas a few years ago. Every time I look at it I am reminded of her and the many cold nights we spent drinking hot chocolate with peppermint schnapps in our dorm rooms in Loomis Hall.
A beautiful silk scarf from Cambodia decorates our dining room radiator cover. When I sit down to dinner, it reminds me of another dear friend whose adventures have taken her across the world. We were lucky enough to visit her in Asia, experience a little bit on the other side of the world and have some souvenirs to prove it.
At work I have a hand-written note from my mom. It isn't a letter to me but rather something she copied down and gave to me when I first started teaching. It is titled "Effective Teachers" and lists numerous qualities these teachers possess. Of course, it reminds me of my mom, however not as a mom but rather as a teacher. When I was old enough to actually help her out, I remember visiting my mother's classroom and being in awe of what she did everyday. The 25 kindergartners were running around, talking, smiling, playing, and most importantly, learning.
On my closet mirror, there is a plain blue sticky note with the scribbled letters "M O M." It was the first time E ever wrote my new title, and I remember this everyday.
These are just a few of the little reminders I look forward to everyday. Of course, I have photographs on the walls and other memorabilia surrounding me. They each tell a story and remind me of a special time, place or person. Even though I may not call or talk to you all as often as I'd like, I am thinking of you.