hurricanes and special things

While Hanna has passed us by...Ike looms in the Atlantic. One thing that I gained from this experience I had to figure out what things really matter to me, at least when it comes to earthly possessions. As I was preparing for a possible evacuation, space in our tiny RAV4 was limited...after two kids, two suitcases, and a dog there wasn't much left. I really had to think about if I had to leave right now...what would I take. And of course I have to take all the paperwork (POAs, life and homeowners insurance, orders, birth and blessing records etc) my love letters from Monty, all the photos I could load up. However, a few things surprised me.I had to take my wooden jewelry box that my sister gave to me after she returned from her 18 month mission to the DR (Dominican Republic.) It meant the world to me, mostly because despite the greatness of my two other sisters, she has always been the one that I admire the most.The marbles, there was no way I could leave any of the 219 marbles behind. Those of you, not in the know, every week (a full seven days) that my husband has been deployed, at schools and various training, field exercises or on duty I add one marble to a tall glass vase. Why torture myself knowing that for half of my married life he hasn't been here? It's not torture it's motivation. It's 219 marbles of strength and proof that I made it through all those other weeks and I can and will make it through this one.One other item...a necklace that my Mimi gave me on the day I was baptized. It's a little wooden girl painted with a white dress and pink wooden beads on each side of her. It had to come. I placed it along side my Grandmother Cleo's pearl necklace and my father's cuff links, and the seashells Monty gave me after his return from Thailand. I can't tell you why I had to dig that necklace out of the hope chest...but I did.The short of it is...even though I can not take any of this stuff with me to Heaven...if I have to leave for a hurricane and I have the time it's coming too.