What Remains

My father's whole life arrived from California yesterday on a giant interstate truck. Boxes and boxes of Cardiology books, letters, files and photographs... It was September 13, 2012, the 9 month anniversary, to the very day, of my father's death. And his whole life arrived. We are keeping everything in a storage room 10 minutes from our house, so that my brother and I can take the time to go though the boxes slowly, carefully. I opened a few things yesterday but found it too emotional - the closest connection I have to my dad now is in those boxes. His very essesnce, his smell, his hopes and dreams - it is all in those boxes. In the short time I spent there yesterday when the movers were unloading, I found a few treasures to bring home: a children's guitar which Lucas spent the entire afternoon holding. A rocking chair that used to be my grandmother's. And legos - old legos from when my brothers were young - which my boys now get to play with.