Old is New Again

I know that I have reflected here on the glory of bringing back something from the past for use in the present.  This joy presented itself again in a surprise way this weekend when we visited a family friend.  Upon arriving at their house, Tucker promptly asked his default question, "Where are your toys?"  I tried explaining to Tucker that they may not have toys around (given that the youngest child is 23) to no avail.  Lucky for all of us that the oldest kid had kept all of his favorite toys, including the very first toy he ever picked out-a spiky two-headed dinosaur-and one of my brother's old toy's that was given to Tucker.

This abandoned Wolverine toy (which Tucker quickly named "Harry") was in perfect condition and instantly became a favorite.  A stamp on Harry tells us that he was made in 1991, making him 18 years old.  But this teenage toy brought as much joy to my son's face as if we had purchased it especially for him that day, maybe more because it was such a surprise.  

By keeping his toys, this man had kept trash out of the landfill, memories fresh in our minds, and brought renewed joy to yet another little boy.  Now I am not saying that you should keep every little thing.  I am a clutter buster and realize that it isn't practical to hang onto everything.  But perhaps stories like this will help us think twice before we buy the "latest and greatest" toy.  Will it hold up for 18 years?  Is it something we would want to give our children?  Could generations derive joy from it?  Maybe these few questions can help us decrease consumerism and waste while preserving memories and the Earth.