Memories from a family's carried down tradition of keeping and treasuring a special "junk drawer"

From the time I was old enough to pull open the drawer in our big china closet, the kind with no glass in the front, made of  heavy oak, it became a secret place for me to store my favorite piece of whatever I held dear. The drawer continued to fill over the years, with each of my 8 brothers and sisters also storing a favorite toy or book there. It was the first place we would run to in the morning, just making sure our special object was still where we had left it. No one thought of taking any one elses out as we all knew how much our drawer and its ownership meant. This drawer was called the Junk Drawer by our Mom. She would occassionaly clean out the drawer, but would never throw away what we had put in there, as she knew how many times a day that drawer was opened and closed by us as we grew up.

As time went by, one by one we left home. Each time we visited there, the first thing we did after we had come in the door, was to go to the Junk Drawer, pull it open, and look at the things that were hidden inside. Some of them we remembered, some we didn't. I remember when I was 19 I took my jacks and ball and my big red marble out of the drawer, and put them in my purse. My Mom asked what I was doing and I told her that I was taking them to my apartment as I had a junk drawer now also. She just smiled and gave me a hug.

Soon I had a son. My Mom watched him while I worked. He kept his little superman and his favorite army men in that drawer. He checked it every day as he arrived in the morning, Now he also kept something in our own junk drawer at home, but the one at grandma's house was different. Even at his young age he knew the specialness of that drawer. One by one my other brothers and sisters left home and when they also came to visit they too pulled open that drawer and looked around, just checking to make sure nothing had changed, except maybe some of the contents. Then their children started the cycle all over again. Coming to grandma's house meant that the junk drawer was theirs to share also. Eventually, each of my brothers and sisters removed their favorite keepsakes out of the drawer and took them home to their own special drawers. They said they were doing this in order to make room for the new generation waiting to be part of the junk drawer.

This tradition is still being carried on. My daughter, who kept her glamor dolls in that drawer, along with her little manicure set, has now removed her items to make way for her 3 sons who now have their places in the drawer.

Mom and Dad are gone now, but my son bought this house in 2001. So the tradition is still being carried on. The bottom line is, it doesn't make any difference how old you are, once you have been a part of sharing the junk drawer you will never forget about it.

We had a cook-out and everyone came over. As each person had a chance, when they thought no one was watching, they pulled open the drawer, looked around, touched whatever was in there, and kinda smiled, as if remembering their time in there, and closed the drawer.The memories can never be taken away.

How about all of you reading this..Do you have a special place in your house for childhood memories? Something like what we all called "the Junk drawer"? If you would like to share your stories with me, please do.

Barbara Sue  -  (7-5-06)