I’m scared of flying. I know this has nothing to do with fires, but bear with me. So when I flew to Melbourne in July with bloggers Eden and Simone I was a little anxious during the flight. Eden kindly piped up more than once during the flights and told me, “We’re going to crash!” or “We’re going to die!”
After I removed my heart from my throat and the colour returned to my face she comforted me by stating, “If I say it, it won’t happen.”
So now I feel safe in saying what I’d save in a fire, because then – according to Eden’s law – it just won’t happen. Meaning there won’t be a fire, not meaning I won’t save this item. Right?
This would be the thing that I’d grab first, once all the people in my family were safe. It’s a book my Ma and Lil Sis gave me on the night before I was married. It’s filled with photos, and stories from my life.
My Ma and Lil Sis even asked everybody from my life up until that point to write a little something, a letter or a note for me. I don’t know what guidelines they gave everyone, but most of the letters are wishing me well and saying why people love me, or even sharing memories from our friendship.
The book is so so so much more than these photos show. It’s so special and was the best gift I could have ever imagined.
What would be the one item you’d save in a fire?
Such a difficult question, we live in a very fire prone area so it crosses my mind every summer. I have actually taken all my photos to nannas for the summer – we put in other stuff too the first time we came here – things that were my nannas – special gifts- but it seems so silly to be living in fear of losing your stuff so I mostly try not to think about it. All my more recent pics are on Google web albums so they're safe at least.
We literally did have to do this on Black Saturday. Scariest, scariest, SCARIEST moments of my life – I hope never to re-live that. We were reasonably lucky in that we had a bit of time to prepare, to try and save the house and organise things to grab, important things like insurance papers etc. In the end we packed my car with a shoebox of love letters written to each other at school/university, mementos from our childhood and a big photo of my fiance's grandparents farm and his grandfather's stick he used to get the cows in. I also had our four dogs on board and tied my horse to the back!
That's such a beautiful gift, I would save our computer because it has all B's photos & the first clothes she wore.
I started reading and I thought … buttons? Chantelle would save buttons?
That album is just exquisite and precious … the photo of you with your skirt and white thongs and hair up and on the side .. you are gorgeous!
Thank you for mentioning me … I was trying so hard to be brave for you that day and in the meantime trying not to wet my own pants. One day you might even be able to joke about tsunamis. One day.
XOX
PS Right now, I would take nothing except my children and the clothes on our backs. The whole house can burn down and we can start again. Am complete weirdo like that.
I would take my Little Brown Box
http://hesperasgarden.com/2011/09/little-brown-box/
Oh my god, in that very top photo of you as a kid, I swear you look like a blonde Lacey!
I'd save all my photo albums, without a doubt. So many memories xxx
What a great album. How wonderful are memories are in there. Today I'll go along with Eden's theory – if you say it, it won't happen.
I have thought about this recently too and started to copy old photos digitally. My idea was to transfer them to USB and leave a copy at my folks place. Then a mum-friend of mine told me she had done the same but copied them to a hard drive which she has stored at her mum and dad's. If I get my act together this would be the ultimate aim.
BUT I LOVE your book. Two of my friends and I are about to celebrate 21 years of friendship and I may borrow a few ideas from your book as a gift to them.
I'd take photos. And my grandmother's ring. Other than people, that's pretty much it.
Aside from myself and Robbie, probably Robbie's favourite toy so he'll feel comforted. Everything else is replaceable including the photos because we have digital copies. OHHHH I'd need to save my MacBook for the copies too!
aww… so lovely seeing that photo of us when we were young and carefree! i would take my book you made me too… such a beautiful gift to have! miss you x
You are the prettiest of the pretties <3