Stepping Over Buried Treasure

Have you ever found a secret treasure? I mean, a real, secret, surprising kind of treasure? What about one that was meant specifically for you?

That's how I felt today when I was organizing my condo, but this is more than just stumbling over some old picture that makes you smile. I was stripping all the paper inserts out of my CD cases-- the CDs are in two huge leather cases, and the cases are just taking up space in a box-- so that I could reuse them at school to store other CDs.

I found a mixed CD that had been made for me by an old lover and friend; the front insert was a photo of a strawberry shake, and the the back cover was a photo of a piece of cheesecake. She had written the song titles along the border of the cheesecake photo.
She had a fantastic taste in music. She was clever, and calm, and reasonable, and cute. She was challenging and open to debate. And for some reason, possibly the distance, as she lived very far away, we never really pursued our connection.

Anyway, back in the present, I pried the inside plastic CD mount away from the back piece, so that I could get out the cheesecake photo and be left with a clear, empty, reusable CD case.

Out fell two small pieces of magazine paper: recipes for the strawberry smoothie and triple citrus cheesecake pictured on the covers.

I blinked in disbelief. This was the kind of romantic, humble detail that was entirely her style. Something that may never be found, but was worth doing because it was cool in and of itself. The kind of thought and action that is missing entirely from the way we are with each other; the way we speak, the way we teach, the way we give, and the way we love.

Or maybe I'm only talking about myself.

So a message to that wonderful woman: if you're reading this, thank you, again. You're amazing.