Rich

As can be understood by anyone who gone through this, Doreen was deep in the clearing out of her parents' house. Forty years of stuff. Her brother spent part of one day looting all that he wanted and departed, leaving her with the mess and stress. With help from her husband and son Richie, their SUV was loaded with boxes and burgeoning black bags to be donated to the Old & New Thrift store, which is affiliated with Southern Jersey Medical Center. She stayed at the house, sending her guys with the admonition to "Just drop it off and don't bring anything home!"###While unloading at the back door collection point with the help of two volunteers, a red thermos jug slipped and fell to the concrete. Richie picked it up and noticed that, along with a few dents and scrapes, there were names scrawled on it, probably with a broad marker. "Dad, look at this." His father glanced at it and said "Put it back in the car."###Seated in the car they examined it more closely as Richie read the names: Joe, Sarah, Jack, Reeny. His Dad explained that these were Papa Joe, Granny Sarah, Uncle Jack and your Mom Reeny. Yes, said his Dad, that's what your Mom was called when she was a kid. When arriving home, Richie ran to his Mom and showed her the jug. Instead of scolding them for bringing something home, she held the thing to her chest and thought of all the wonderful summers she stayed with her parents and brother at tiny Sparta Lake in northern New Jersey. The hot summer days swimming, fishing, rowing the leaky boat and walking the dirt roads and filling the thermos at the public spring with water so cold it hurt your teeth. And the nights so dark. Black. With no street lights or moon, the entire sky was covered with stars, the big dipper so close you could reach to touch it. The milky way too, a blotch, a river of white. The flashes of the midnight sun. Yes, as far south as NJ on a summer's night. Potatoes roasting in a a small fire out of doors and when pulled out with a stick, their jackets black leaving char on hands, face and teeth.###"Do you like it Mom?"###"Yes Richie. I love it. Thank you.