Jun
More Than A Lamp
I was working on a synopsis when the call came. The moment I heard my eleven-year-old’s voice, I knew something was wrong. She was cleaning her room, moving things around, when it happened.
Her beloved Tinkerbell lamp fell off her cubbies and broke. 
If you knew my daughter, you’d know how tragic this really was. She’s a die-hard Disney lover (like her mom), with Tinker Bell being among her favorites. The lamp had been a gift from me when we moved out on our own three and a half years ago.
I remember the day I gave it to her…the way her eyes lit up and the sound of the happy squeal right before she threw her arms around me. And I remember the way she placed it on her cubbies with pride, using the night light feature every night before bed (she loved the purple hue it gave her room).
When we moved to New York last year, the lamp was one of the first things to find a place in her new room, the fairies that adorned the base of the lamp a forever nod to that sweet innocence she proudly holds onto.
And then Friday happened.
Sure, the tears were for the lamp, itself. But I think they were just as much about the memory, and the symbol, and the feeling of “home” that lamp provided. So while I listened to her sob in my ear, I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this was one boo-boo I had to fix…
A fix that should be arriving on our doorstep later today.
So tell me, is there something you or a loved one own (s) that you wouldn’t hesitate to replace (even if it’s no longer available in stores and therefore the purchase price is twice what you originally paid) in the event of a mishap?
~Elizabeth
June 30th, 2010 at 9:22 am
As my husband tends to take care of himself VERY well, I’d never get a chance. If he mentions he wants a new camera – a month before christmas – he goes and gets it. A new computer – a week before his birthday.
June 30th, 2010 at 11:34 am
To turn this around a bit, I bought something new, but couldn’t bring myself to get rid of the thing I was replacing.
I have a leather bomber jacket that my wife (then girlfriend) gave me for Christmas in 1989. The lining is shredded, the zipper broken, and a couple buttons missing. But it also has formula stains on the pocket from when my daughter was an infant.
When I replaced it a few years ago, the old coat went in the closet. Still sleeps there.
Some things we love because they’re old, and have that history. They become friends who’ve seen us through a little bit of life.
I’m glad you found a replacement lamp for your daughter. In this case, it’s the light, and the love, that make it special.
June 30th, 2010 at 3:29 pm
my dad used to do that, Lynn. Drove my mother nuts!
Joe, I’d hang onto that coat. The formlua sains alone make it all the more precious!