When I started to read about ADD I saw that many of us like to collect and hoard.
We often enjoy our share of clutter.
We keep things and don’t let go.

And we find value in arbitrary items….one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, right?
I’m just wondering why that is.


I have a pot lid. I would not trade it for a diamond ring.



It is enamelware, white with a red rim.
No pot to match, just a lid.

The lid belonged to my tiny little grandmother, Mom.
When I would go to visit she would cook for us.
She was so sweet and she loved to cook and stand at the stove and stir with a wooden spoon.
I would stand on a chair beside her and watch, waiting for the opportunity to help.

When she died, I went through a box of old junk that had been left at the "big house". My aunt would soon be taking it to the good will.

I got my lid, my treasure.


I use it every time I cook and I think of Mom. I feel her energy and enjoy the good memories of standing in that chair, talking, learning.


If my house were to catch on fire, the pot lid would be one of the things on my list to grab immediately.
Now what’s up with that?

Do you have a "pot lid"? Are you attached to something ordinary?
If you are, can you tell what it is and why it is special?




~gourmet~

Yes. I do have an odd item that I consider to be "treasure".

I have a bottle opener. It is made of aluminum and steel, it was made rather nicely. When I was a kid, about 7 years old my cousin and I each bought a bottle opener. My cousin and I were like brothers. I bought a blue one, he bought a red one.

I lost mine, so he gave his to me. It is a memory of a moment in time, for me. It lives on my keychain. It has been through floods, fire, two divorces, many, many moves. It has been in at least 40 of the 50 states. It is a great treasure for me.

The red anodizing has worn off of the handle, and the nickel plating has worn off of the steel jaws of the opener. It does not look like much of a thing to want to keep, but I remember the place where I was, and the people who were there, and that moment in time, every time I look at it. That was about 45 years ago.

just call me sentimental


Me :D

when I was around 11, I found my grandmother's small book of hymns. I like the size of it, the tiny print and the fluttery paper. As my mom and I left for home on the bus, she pressed in my hand a copy she bought for me.

I'm not a particularly religious person and I don't know very many hymns, but it is just behind me on my bookcase and I pick it up regularly and flip thru it, thinking of my late grandma.

I'm in chat right now crime_scene

speedo, why did a story about a bottle opener just make me cry?

Because!! You are such a romantic! :p


Me :D


speedo, why did a story about a bottle opener just make me cry?

I've moved 26 times in the past 32 years, so while I still manage to accumulate things (how.. I have no idea), I don't have issues with letting most go, if I have to.
The last time I 'left', prior to filing for divorce, I left a c**pload of stuff at my house. I went back and retrieved some things, but most were clothes. The rest is still there, LMAO !! And my ex still bi**ches for me to come and get my 'stuff', which I probably won't, considering I've been out for a year, and haven't had the need for any of it.
I think if I had to choose something, it would be photos, since they would be the only items I couldn't 'rebuy', later.
You guys make me feel like 'Frankenstein', since I don't have as much sentimental value on anything I've accumulated, as you do... I guess if I didn't move around so much, in the past, I probably would have the same things that made me smile, when I was younger.
Nova

"I think if I had to choose something, it would be photos, since they would be the only items I couldn't 'rebuy', later." ~Nova


:D Like my dinged up white enamel pot lid. Priceless........
....as precious as photographs and love letters.





~gourmet~

Ever since I read this thread a few days ago.
I've been trying to think what is my pot lid.

I have a lot of things handed down to me from my great grandmother
and from my grandparents.
All things that mean a lot to me but just not my pot lid.

If my house was on fire and the people and animals were out.
I'd want my pictures saved.
But I finally realized what my pot lid is.
It's my dogs collar she passed away two years ago.
I have her collar hanging on my bed.
So there you have it thats the thing that means the most to me.
My beloved dogs collar. :)

After helping with the Deschler tornado clean up I became terrified that I would lost my irreplaceable pictures. My husband and I spent every free moment we had scanning and downloading our pictures into the computer and then burning them to cd's that now reside in our deposit box at the bank and back up cd's are also kept elsewere just in case.

Most of my prized possesions are kept in a tote by my bedroom window so that I can at least break the window and grab it from the outside of the house should the need arise and during tornado season it resides in my sister's basement. My tote is the home of many wonderful treasures that others would throw out.

A ruby ring given to my mother by her much adored mother. The ring was so well worn that the ruby had fallen out while my mother was upset I was tormented and spent two days searching for it, after finding it I screamed, begged and pleaded with my dad to have it placed in another ring for my mother to which he refused time and again. That year at Christmas (I was 12) my only gift was the ruby set in a new setting. Its the only thing we have from our life before my adopted father since we had to run so many times in the dead of night taking only the clothes on our back and it means the world to me.

A daughter's ring I got from my mother for my 16th birthday. It is a black hills gold pearl. She bought my sister and I matching rings so that we would always remember.

On my 16th birthday my sister who had not been raised with us moved home. She was taken by her father when she was 5 and I was 3 always jealous of the safe and sturdy life she was able to lead I was resentful of her intruding in on our family. I mean she left us right? Anyways, on my 16th birthday I went to bed to find a letter from my sister explaining to me how hard life is when you know you have a mother, brothers and a sister you can have no contact with and how she missed us everyday in the note was a cross necklace given to her on her 16th birthday.

My elephant slippers have been retired. the first gift bought for me by my kids with their hard earned money. They have been to the bank, post office, store, gas station, school, doctor and hospital.

Jacob's id bracelt from the hospital and the outfit he was supposed to wear home.

Letter's from my husband, sister, kids, mother, brother, father, anyone who means anything to me. I could probably scan those too but I like to touch them.

A bible given to me from my biological father. The one and only gift he has ever given me.

My first board ever broken in a tournament.

A copy of my adoption papers. :D

An decorative plate that shows an indian mother lovingly touching her childs face. It was the first gift Doug ever bought me and was given to me the day after I told him I was pregnant with Koda, it has never seen the light of day with my other collection it is far too priceless.

My "pot lid"

is my CareBear ~ Wishbear...

He has been with me since I was 2-3 years old and has traveled the world with me.

My family has moved a lot due to different jobs my dad had when we where younger. I would carry my carebear with me in the car. It was not allowed to be packed cause I needed to show him where we were going next and I also needed to comfort of knowing I was safe with him. I tried to sell him at a yardsale when I was 12 years old but I ran over to him when I thought someone was going to buy him. I realized then I never wanted to "grow up" to much to get rid of him.

~Wishbear has been through many hard times with me..happy, sad..painful times...

He will always sleep on my bed with me and when I'm gone he'll still have a special place in my arms.

In the past year I have collected almost all of the carebears from 1983-1984 but still there is none like my Wishbear...

used to have a pink blanket from when i was brought home from the hospital but someone stole it from me when i was 18 years old...she didn't like me to much :rolleyes:

FlyGurl :) That's a great pot lid I loved your story

lol now that I think about it I do have an Incredible Hulk doll/figure that has been with me since I was about 4 and I'll probably be buried with the big hunk. Yep Fly your story is going to hit a lot of nerves. Great post!!!!

"my pot lid"....you make me feel so good.

The bottle opener, the dog collar, the wish bear, elephant slippers and of course our precious photographs.

Material things? I think not.


love to all of you...

~gourmet~

A rocking chair in my kitchen.

She was a very tiny little lady.
I remember when I was ten years old she came to live with us because she was "slipping" and had begun "wandering".

Along with her came a little cream colored nursery rocker. We would keep it in the kitchen so she could rock and hold my baby brother while we kept an eye on her.

She would often try to rock me in the chair. She would hold me and rock.....I was afraid I would break her as my feet hit the floor everytime she rocked forward.

She called me "sugar foot" and would softly sing lullabies as I sat awkwardly in her lap.

When I was a young teen my feeble little grandmother went to a nursing home.

I inherited her rocker.....painted it bright orange.....and put it in my "awesome" room with my wicker basket swing and my stuffed St. Bernard. Remember the song "Rock-n-roll lullaby"? It was a hit around that time.

Now the chair is painted red...in my kitchen. I sit in it every evening for supper at the corner of the table. I love to rock. And the little chair fits my body comfortably.

It has it's own name "Mom's Red Chair" written playfully in french along the rockers.

My father and his brothers were rocked in that chair. My brothers and sisters were rocked in the chair as well as myself. And all of my baby boys.....some day a grandchild.

The little old chair and all its many layers of paint is over a hundred years old and is still rockin'-n-rollin'.

My ten year old is eleven now and won't let me rock him anymore. My lap is empty and now I always cross my leg when I rock to fill the space.

I have some serious attachment issues.


~gourmet~

I was reading through all the postings and thinking "awe"s about them and "yes" I know how that is, but couldn't think of anything that was my "pot lid" I have lots of childhood stuffed animals still--I'm only 20, I have never moved, lol. But when I read your post I broke into tears and realized what I would always hang onto my entire life. And, it's true, if there was a fire and all family and pets were out of the house safely, this would be the first thing I grab....

My guinnea pig. He can't count as a pet because he's creamated in a little box on my dresser, with a picture of him next to his box. My mom thinks I'm crazy, but he's there, with me all the time. I got him my sophomore year of highschool and I had to put him down just 5 month ago... he was my best friend, he'd sit with me for hours, he'd squeek for me, highschool was so rough for me, I felt like he was my only friend sometimes, even though he was a guinnea pig. He was all orange and looked like the old school mcnuggets so his name was Nugget. The vet gave him a private creamation for me and he will come with me to where ever I move until I settle down...

don't know if that's creapy, but if or when I do bury him it will be at my permanent home.

Ever since I read this thread a few days ago.
I've been trying to think what is my pot lid.

I have a lot of things handed down to me from my great grandmother
and from my grandparents.
All things that mean a lot to me but just not my pot lid.

If my house was on fire and the people and animals were out.
I'd want my pictures saved.
But I finally realized what my pot lid is.
It's my dogs collar she passed away two years ago.
I have her collar hanging on my bed.
So there you have it thats the thing that means the most to me.
My beloved dogs collar. :)ps. just gave my current love of my life greyhound, beloved Mickey, a huge hug when he came over to see why I was crying, lol.... memories really are the best!

That doesn't sound creepy at all.
Pigeon, you would love stori. She is so great and loves her pets.
You remind me of myself when I was 20. :) I wish I had known about my ADD when I was your age.
I hope you stick around. :)


~gourmet~