blue vans

it's funny how the sight of random objects can poke at different recesses of the brain. my trip to england has yielded several such unpredictable "pause moments" for me. my sister-in-law's parent's pink toilet; the night before i was scheduled for my medical exam for my greencard, my brother over-refreshed my wine glass at "the fox & hounds", i then "refreshed" the toilet around 2am. come hell or high hangover i had to drag myself into london on the 7am train, and hoped there wasn't some "anti-lightweight" box that would get a big check mark and block my re-entry into the us.

the beautiful old church where my brother got married, and i elbowed my way out of the horse drawn carriage to throw myself at favourite old family friends. they sky is now grey, and the trees aren't frothy and green.

my sister-in-law's parent's garden reception, where old family and friends were introduced to new "family". the roses might not be in bloom right now, but i can still hear my grandmother asking inappropriate and truly cringe-worthy questions as she sipped her champagne.

objects can become vested with meaning through our associations and experiences, adding to a 'mental treasure chest' over time. it can be fun to collect movie stubs, photos, or a rock that you, your brother and first crush kicked from his house to your house and then signed. sometimes its nice to be surprised by the things that you forgot you had collected.