I recently took a trip to California, Nevada, and Indiana, but I never left the house. I had made a trip from the den where I was watching TV, to the kitchen with the full intent of looking for something to munch on. As I was standing there with the refrigerator door open, trying to decide my next move, and whether to have a regular Pepsi or a Diet Pepsi, I started to notice things I usually take for granted. I started looking at the door and sides of the “fridge” or “icebox” as we used to call it, and I actually noticed all these pictures and magnets staring back at me.

There were magnets from a trip to Indiana, a couple from California, and one or two from Las Vegas. Some contained the names of our sons written on them, some just the state or place such as Disneyland. Surrounding the magnets were reminders of other places visited, such as churches and locations of Sheriff ’s Conferences. There were several scripture cards with daily reminders of our Christian walk. And there were the pictures, pictures of nieces and nephews, brothers and sisters, grandchildren, cousins, and the usual Christmas pictures we receive in the mail, but Christmas’ not so recent.

I don’t know what the rules are for changing what adorns your refrigerator, but on ours you can see the boys grow up picture by picture. I’ve noticed it’s sort of the same when you open a door to a closet in a kid’s room. There are clothes there from cub scout and little league days. We hang onto this “stuff” for the memories of good times past, and that occasional trip down memory lane. We have one magnet on the “fridge” from Vicenta’s church in McFarland, California that has a 2007 calendar on it, but it has the church name and the Pastor’s name and phone number, and it has a lot of memories becuse of her families’ connection to that church. We all do things like that. I still have a picture of me on the beach when I was stationed in California and much younger. I need to put it on the “fridge” as a reminder how I could look if I would keep the refrigerator door closed.

So, the next time you want to take a trip and don’t have the money, just go the refrigerator door, your closet or attic, or get out that old box of pictures you have hidden away and enjoy the visit. It’s good medicine for the soul, and all it costs is time.