You were cleaning under the bed when you heard a squeal.

 One fine morning, I decided to get down to cleaning and decluttering stuff that lay beneath my bed. It was a task that I had procrastinated for far too long.

I went down on my fours, pulling out dusty boxes and clearing cobwebs. As I pulled out and went through the boxes, I felt a huge wave of nostalgia wash over me. Each box held items that connected me to my past. Cards, letters, diaries, clothing and other memorabilia.  

My mind drifted back to friendships that had shaped my life. Some have fallen by the wayside and some still thrived. One particular friendship stood out from among the rest. Despite the miles that separate us, Celia remains a close friend and confidante. We’ve shared so much.

Lost in my reverie, I stumbled upon a neatly wrapped brown paper package. My excitement is akin to an athlete approaching his finish line. I tore open the wrapping and heard myself squealing loudly in delight as I gazed at what lay before me. My husband asked me if I’d found a pot of gold. What I’d found was worth more than all the pots of gold in the world.  (Dusting and decluttering forgotten) It was a delicate toy tea set adorned with a beautiful blue and beige pattern of flowers that Celia had gifted me as a birthday present when we were in the sixth grade. The set was a wee bit chipped and a couple of cups and saucers were missing but to me, it was the most beautiful tea set I’d ever seen.  I traced the chipped edges giving thanks for this wonderful friendship. The edges of the tea set may have chipped but the friendship was intact. The tea set has once again been carefully wrapped and nestles in the recesses

of my closet. 

A task most mundane turned into a celebration of cherished memories and an enduring friendship.