It was just an old gray suitcase, why was I so sad at letting it go? It was time and I needed the space in the closet. I didn�t want to throw it away, so I advertised it on an Internet site where you could give away things for free to anyone who might be interested. But, who would want an old gray suitcase over 30 years old? Oh well, I thought, it�s worth a try. If no one replies to the ad, then off to the trash it goes. There it is again, that strange feeling of losing an old friend. The old suitcase had held some magical powers for me I believed, and I was having a hard time letting it go. My husband had used the suitcase for years to store his hobby solitaire football game, and when we married, 28 years ago, I decided it would be better put to use as a Christmas ornament storage container. I was a somewhat crafty person, making old things new again or at least finding a new use for them. I had a box of old Christmas cards, and some wide green Christmas ribbon, so I decided to decoupage the outside of the suitcase with some of the Christmas cards, some wrapping paper and ribbon. First I spray painted it with some left over white paint. I was a collector of Santas, so naturally the theme of the suitcase was Santa Claus. The inside lining of the suitcase was red satin, which also made it more festive. When I finished, the old suitcase seemed to come to life with the spirit of Christmas. I carefully packed the ornaments and Santa figurines that I wanted in the suitcase. It held more than I thought it would. At least they would be safe from damage now. The old suitcase was bulky and heavy, and I had a hard time putting it up on the closet shelf, but I got it up there. I always tried to start decorating for Christmas the weekend after Thanksgiving. When that weekend finally arrived, I retrieved the old suitcase from the closet shelf, and for some reason it looked a little different, much prettier and more decorative than I remembered. The Christmas anticipation I knew as a little girl welled up inside me and I couldn�t wait to reveal the treasures inside. I carried the suitcase into the living room and it didn�t seem as heavy as when I first placed it on the closet shelf. With much eagerness I started unpacking the suitcase and placed the Santas where I wanted them, either on the Christmas tree or on a shelf for display. I always managed to add some Santa ornaments and figurines to my collection every year�some given to me as gifts� or I would find them at flea markets and thrift stores, and occasionally, I would purchase one brand new. When Christmas was over, I would carefully pack my Santas into the old suitcase. But, even though I had added a few more every year, the old suitcase seemed to be able to hold a few more than the year before. I just figured I was getting better at packing them. There were some Christmas seasons that I would be a little depressed and think that I just couldn�t decorate. However, when I would get near the closet where the suitcase was, it seemed to call to me, and I had the irresistible urge to take it down. Once the old suitcase came out of the closet, my depression would lift and I would be filled with the Holiday spirit. Year after year, the old suitcase sheltered my Santas, and year after year, the collection grew until finally I decided I could not manage any more. We had moved into a new home, and even though we had a little more closet space than before, it was still cramped. I wanted my closets to be more organized and have a little more space, and the old suitcase really took up a lot. I felt I should be more modern and get some of those plastic Christmas ornament containers that stack together and take up less space, and which are much lighter in weight. So, after Thanksgiving, I placed an ad on the Internet site and described the old suitcase and what it had been used for. I was amazed that I got a couple of replies. I responded to the first one and made arrangements for the old suitcase to be picked up. When I got the old suitcase out of the closet to take out my Santas, I felt a sense of sadness. Now the old suitcase wasn�t as cheery as it had once been. The ribbons had come off and faded, and some of the paper and cards that I had covered the lid and sides of the suitcase with were starting to come off as well. I wondered what the lady was going to use this old worn out suitcase for. I decided I could not let the suitcase go without some way of remembering. I got my camera and took pictures of the old suitcase. The doorbell rang and I slowly went to answer it. �I�m here for the suitcase,� she said. I reluctantly gave it to her and asked, �What are you going to use this for?� I couldn�t believe my ears��I�m going to use it to store my Christmas ornaments in�, she said. �I have some very delicate ornaments that I don�t want to get broken, and this will be perfect to slide underneath my bed�. My spirits lifted and I knew the old suitcase was going to a good home. It was going to bring some Christmas magic to someone else for many years to come. |
| THE CHRISTMAS SUITCASE - A SHORT STORY by Sharon Robinson December 22, 2007 |