Back story: About five years ago my father gave me an old file cabinet because he heard me say we were going to buy one. What he gave me was very old and had been painted bright blue and just didn't work for what we wanted. I didn't want to hurt his feelings so I never said anything.
My mother and step-father said they would take it and put it in the garage for small tools, etc. Perfect use for this particular item.
My step-father and my brothers have been cleaning out his garage over the past few weeks. Thirty plus years of accumulation resulted in truckloads of stuff to the dump and salvage yard. One of the items to go was the file cabinet. When my brother was loading it, something fell out of one of the drawers.
A New Testament bible that was obviously very old. My father's name in his handwriting was written on the inside. On another page was my name and an address of where we lived when I was about 4-8 years old in my mother's handwriting.
Apparently I was given Dad's old testament to use in Sunday School...38 or so years ago. Who knows how long it had been in this file cabinet - obviously since he gave it to me and before.
Inside the bible was a photo of my step-sister, Dianna, who was killed in a car accident three years to the day in 2002 prior to the day my father died in 2005.
The photo was a 1983 photo of her junior year in high school. With the photo was an army stripe - I have no idea where this came from. Dad had been in the service, but I don't know if this was his or whose.
I would imagine upon their divorce my mother gave Dad his bible along with his other personal stuff. I was twelve at the time and my step-sister was my friend before she was my step-sister since our parents were all friends (sordid mess).
My step-sister lived with my father and step-mother for a few years so maybe she used the bible too.
I am unclear as to its travels, but am happy it has made its way back to me.
4 comments:
I love surprises like this, they are so few and far between. A few years ago my mother found a wrapped Christmas present to me, from her and Dad, that they'd forgotten to put under the tree.
I almost didn't want to open it, knowing it was the last gift I'd ever get with a tag that said "Love Mom and Dad."
(My word verification is "merlito." That's spanish for "baby Merlot," isn't it?)
It was a necklace.
Wow so cool! And even though you don't live in Canada, I'll include you in my giveaway draw :D
Actually, I've now changed the giveaway to include the US as I had 50 visits but no commenters - so....
Small world and how interesting that Rich had found that and it didn't toss it with the rest of the stuff that is in the barn. Things happen for a reason. See you in a few days.
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