I have a small collection of stones and shells that sit on my bedside table. Little mementos from here and there. A red rock from the Rio Grande, a piece of coral from Hawaii, a smooth green stone given to me by my daughter because I like the color green, a fossilized clam shell from a walking path at work, and some stones and fragments gathered from walks with my daughter. Each represents a marker that tells of a special moment in my life. If you listen, each has a small tale to tell of a stop along my way.
These keepsakes mostly sit and collect dust, going ignored and unnoticed from day to day. However, every once in a while as I reach over them to turn on the lamp, a memory catches my eye and pulls me in. It is then that I will pick up one of the pieces and rub it between my fingers and linger for a moment or two. Just let the memories cascade through my mind and take me back.
