Day 222 // The Keychain

It’s amazing how a simple find like a set of keys can take you back to a sad moment in time and trigger a fresh yet gentle wave of grief.

I was emptying a storage container in the bottom of my closet and came across a keychain. I didn’t recognize it at first, then realized it belonged to my mother, who passed in October 2022. And I didn’t think much of it until it came time to dispose of them… today.

As I went through the keys one at a time, the reality sank in that the locks they controlled no longer exist – her front door, her screen doors, my old entry door in NJ, my dad’s old entry door (also in NJ), and one to dad’s old mailbox. The keys remind me of how much life has changed in a couple of short years. Mom's passing - far too young. My move to CT. Dad’s inability to care for himself resulting in his move to join me in CT.

Time is the most precious non-renewable resource we receive as human beings. I know exactly how I plan to use mine in 2025 as I enjoy the ride of this life until the wheels utterly fall off.