See this great tray? I've had it since the early 1970's and have loved it. When my parents moved from my childhood home the tray came to live with me and I have really enjoyed having it. It reminds me of being a kid...and my kids have loved being able to use it to eat on the couch or in our bed. It's been used often in the years I've had it. Probably more often than in my entire childhood.
A few months back the tray was covered in food and I was short on time. Thinking nothing of it, I tossed it in the dishwasher. I really, really, really should have thought something of it. Really.
When the dishwasher finished its cycle I opened it to unload the clean dishes and.........found that the heat of the dishwasher has peeled away paint from the tray.
It flaked off freely and if there is one thing I am almost certain of: that paint probably contained lead. It was the early 70's....everything contained lead. I never really worried about it because the kids weren't chewing on it and it wasn't an issue. Until now.
Clearly I couldn't let them use it anymore. But I couldn't stand the thought of throwing it in the trash. It was part of my childhood and I don't have a lot from my childhood.
It has been sitting in the cabinet, unused, ever since.
It's time to throw it out. And it makes me sad. Probably more than it should.
12 comments:
It is hard to let go of "things" that carry memories for us. I've encountered that so many such things since the time when I began to dismantle the house in KC to move here 4+ years ago. I moved many of them, so I'm still going through it. I'm letting go of more and more as time goes by.
Casey, Try to use the spray polyurethane on it. It should seal the tray and keep anymore paint from peeling and will keep that nasty lead hidden away. Then get a shadowbox and keep it on the wall. Enjoy what is yours :)
SO MUCH FOR THAT FAMILY HERILOOM (yes, I'm yelling!)
Ah, shit. And now I spelt "heirloom" wrong. Now all them edumcated readers of yer blog will thinks you don't come from a learnt family......
LOL! I didn't. :)
Nothing wrong with mourning the loss of a bit of your childhood. Nostalgia can be so powerful. I'm sorry the lead means it has to go :(
:( I have a hard time saying goodbye to things too. I think I actually had one of these as well, lol.
Oh it would make me sad too, why can't you display it on a wall or something or is it "too" damaged?
I think you should alter it with pics of the kids & maybe you as a kid, as well as other stuff that reminds you of kidhood, letting the Sesame Street gang peek through, then spray it with sealant & keep it as art. I totally don't think you should get rid of it.
NOOOO don't get rid of it!!! Everyone has such good ideas. Take one of their tips, or at least put it on a bookshelf behind a vase or something where it will peep out. Don't get rid of it. Life is too short.
I agree both with you and the other commenters. It is so hard to get rid of something from your childhood, especially when it isn't your choice to do it. Maybe you can still save it, alter it like Daria said.
Either way, its okay to feel sad about it.
As I'm getting ready to start packing everything up, I have to start looking at what things I have to take with me, and what things should go, and it's so hard!
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