The Keepers File

Over the years, I have collected articles, letters, scraps of paper containing a short note or comment, quotes, clever thoughts, commentaries, etc.  I am talking about 35+ years of what I consider to be memorable writings. I know this because items are dated and the oldest I have found is from 1985! All these docs are stuffed in a tattered accordian folder labeled "KEEPERS." Keepers are in no particular order or filing system. I did manage to keep the KEEPERS file  in alpha order in the file cabinet drawer. Cataloging all the contents of the file would have taken too much time and organzation for a busy woman!

My precious sister and best friend, Cha-Cha, has a Keepers file, too. Cha calls her Keepers collection "Blurbs." Her most recent Blurbs are lovingly placed on the lazy susan in the center of her kitchen table. She enjoys mailing Blurbs as additional encouragement in personal cards and letters. People love Cha's blurbs which are typically satirical, hilarious or edgy. Our mother also had a stash of collected clippings and articles, too.  Mom, better known as Tucky,  did not name her archived items, but she had stacks of them!  Tucky's Keepers were displayed in an unflowing wooden tray on the living room coffee table.  A visit to Tuck's retirement condo meant express time together handling  and reading the latest of her Keeper-keepsakes. Often Tuck and I would sift through Keepers that I had seen many times before. I would sit on the huge floral Early American couch near the Keepers tray and she would sit across the room, in the matching overstuffed chair, as I read to her. We read and reread cards, letters and cherished papers. We talked and discussed the content of each which often  brought both of us to tears. It meant a lot to Tuck to share her wealth of paper treasures, so it meant a lot to me, as well.  Our Tucky is now in the heavenlies, but she surely knows she trained her daughters well.  Like her, Cha-Cha and I are excellent hoarders of the written word.

All this being shared, I am absolutely certain that the familial penchant for hanging on to meaningful, sentimental papers is deeply engrained in the females of our clan. My sons have a tiny bit of Keeper tendencies as I have passed on my favorite pieces to them.  I have no clue if Chip or Marc keep the cherished docs from me.  I don't want to know!  I need to check with my nieces to see if they accumulate meaningful papers. If they do,  that would be three generations of Keepers!

Occasionally, I rifle through my KEEPERS file in serach of a  resource to accompany a Bible study,  message or piece I am writing.  If (BIG IF!), my pursuit is fruitful and the entombed composition is located, it is particularly satisfying.  I say to myself, "Good job, Rob!! Aren't you glad you hung on to that??!"  Of course, after being used, the KEEPER  is returned to the old, crowded folder where it has lived for so many years.

That's a long story for a short explanation, Friends. From time to time, Keepers will appear in this blog or at least the thoughts that my Keepers provoke will be exbounded upon. Conceivably, there are more of us who maintain an active Keepers file. Perhaps worthy material from my Keepers will be added to your Keepers and a thought or penned inspiration will continue to be passed on. Ah! That would be a huge blessing to both of us.  Good news, helpful thoughts and ideas should not be kept in one's private stockpile.  Keepers are meant to be shared, just as life is meant to be shared. 
Count it all joy!

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