Postcards from the past

I saved my wedding dress, circa 1978, and packed it carefully into a Tupperware container along with my going away outfit and the fancy navy blue three piece suit my new husband wore as we embarked on our life together.  We were a snappy pair back then, drenched in hope and lust – newlyweds.  

The wedding dress has only been pulled out of storage a few times over the years.  I made a pact with myself to try it on every ten years or so to see if I could still do it up. The last time it made an appearance was about fifteen years ago – the fabric was crunchy and yellowed.  That was the last time I attempted to put it on, my hands were too large to fit through the cuffs – which was perhaps a blessing, it wasn’t just my extremities that had changed shape.

His navy-blue three piece suit has always been ridiculed, the kids had visions of Saturday Night Fever when they looked at the pictures of us on our wedding day – they couldn’t imagine their jean-clad father decked out like John Travolta. Our son tried it on a few times as a lark but never looked as dapper as his Dad did back in the day.  I felt the need to save it because…. well, just because. 

I doubt anyone will ever actually wear the old duds – they are packed for posterity only. I will probably store the Tupperware in the storage locker in the bowels of the condo complex – closet space is at a premium in the condo itself – but I will know it’s down there. The box will be in good company, I have saved other things for posterity as well – a cardboard box full of special memories; sentimental cards he gave and received, the grey wool sweater he got in Ireland and looked so handsome in, his Mickey Mouse conductor hat; things I couldn’t bear to pass along or throw away. 

I don’t expect the storage locker to be a gloomy place even though it’s located in a basement – the contents within will be the things that lit up my life, the silly stuff, the really good stuff – stuff with no monetary value and priceless just the same.  Taped in the boxes are the souvenirs, mementos from the story of us.  Postcards from the past.