A Second Chance For A Train Case

 

Sometimes the containers matter as much as the flowers.

This old train case once carried someone's belongings on a journey. Yesterday it held a tray and an old safety pin. Today it carries flowers and memories.

Maybe that's what life does with all of us. We keep moving forward, collecting stories and finding new purposes for the things we once thought we'd outgrown.

I bought this train case years ago at the Visiting Nurse Rummage Sale in Far Hills, NJ. Back then, I collected old train cases and painted flowers on them. I still have a few. One serves as a doorstop, and another lives at my daughter's home. In fact, we painted it to match the theme of her wedding.

This one somehow escaped my paintbrush and has been tucked away on a shelf in the garage for over 12 years.

A friend of mine in Minnesota has a wonderful artistic flair. She's actually the person who encouraged me to share Caitlin's Star with the world. Yesterday, while we were texting, I asked what she would do with this old train case. She told me about a friend who had filled one with flowers.

Today, I did just that.

As I arranged the flowers, I found myself thinking about second chances. We often look at old things and see what they used to be. But sometimes all it takes is a little imagination to see what they might become.

I like the idea of breathing new life into something ordinary.

This old train case was given a second chance and became something unique.

Maybe people aren't all that different.


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