Refrigerators.
One of my favorite authors, Wally Lamb, wrote a beautiful forward in his latest novel (his first in 10 years,) “The Hour I First Believed.” Written in the dedication, for his mother, now deceased, Lamb makes several references to her refrigerator. He states, “ …it was the outside of Ma’s fridge that best spoke of who she was. The front and sides were papered with greeting cards, holy pictures, and photos, old and new, curling and faded, of all the people she knew and loved.” This immediately sparked memories of my grandma Grace’s refrigerator, routing me to my own fridge, which now houses one of my grandmother’s old magnets, a butterfly.
You can infer a lot about a person based on the outside of their refrigerator. Mine is plastered with pictures of friends, family, invitations, quotes, and magnets. It is a shrine to those I love. I’m just not a “comic strip” kind of girl. One of my best friends, Kate, once had a Robert Frost quote taped to her freezer that read, “In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.” I love this quote. Maybe it’s still there, buried beneath the abundance of pictures. Maybe she took it down and replaced it with a new phrase.
I collect magnets from various places, though not necessarily places I’ve been. Friends, family, and co-workers often scoop up a magnet when they’re on vacation and it’s a neat reminder, knowing a small souvenir traveled hundreds or thousands of miles. I keep a great deal of my magnet collection on a file cabinet at work and it is often an icebreaker for conversation when folks stop by my desk. One prominent question, “Did you realize the Texas magnet is upside down?” The Texas magnet, a gift from Wes and Kristie, remains intentionally upside down in a “Where’s Waldo” fashion, and yet, it is always discovered.
I think of the things that used to adorn my refrigerator in my early twenties. There was an overflow of pictures of friends, typically toting a beer in hand. Now, photographs display my friends and their children, and photograph’s of family. There was an absence of family photo’s in my youth. Ah, the evolution of importance is ever-present on my giant kitchen appliance. I often dissect refrigerators. Newlyweds tend to decorate the outside with a multitude of “couple” pictures, parents and grandparents proudly display pictures of their children and grandchildren, or artwork created by their children and grandchildren.
In many ways, it truly is a shrine of what we love, of what we value. A person will also notice when they’ve “made the ‘fridge.” It’s a silent compliment. In this recognition, I thank Mr. Lamb for the reminder.
Comments
Mine is blank because I have no magnets which I plan on buying some today now! Thanks Lauryn!!
LAURYN: You're on mine. How's that for passive aggression??
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March 11, 2009 12:59 PM
Funny, as often as I sit at that desk, I've never noticed that Texas is upside down.
LAURYN: Sometimes, it gets lost in the mix.
Posted by: shay | March 11, 2009 01:21 PM
Befriderators Magnets! Great reading as usual.....I always enjoy your topics! I'm a bit of a magnet collector.....my Jesus magnet is my favorite though!
LAURYN: Thanks. And... Jesus magnet??
Posted by: John "Seed" | March 11, 2009 02:12 PM
Our refrigerator is the command center...everyone's schedule's, school lunch calendar, school reminders, kid nutrition tips and emergency contacts.
LAURYN: Sign O' Kids.
Posted by: Katherine | March 11, 2009 02:17 PM
My fridge doesn't hold magnets! I don't know what it is made out of, but it has been disheartening as I share your love of magnets. Stupid fridge.
LAURYN: Magnets are great, it's true, but tape works too.
Posted by: Armanda | March 11, 2009 02:52 PM
I think that quote is still on my fridge. If not, it needs to be put back up. People always make comments about my fridge because it's covered in so many pictures! Great blog, Miss Lauryn! I'm thrilled to know that I'm on your fridge more than once! You're obviously on mine a bunch!
LAURYN: Thanks! Again, silent compliments...
Posted by: Kate | March 11, 2009 03:04 PM
Texas being up-side-down is very appropriate!
LAURYN: I knew you'd agree!!
Posted by: Kensey | March 11, 2009 03:50 PM
we have one of those stainless steele fridge's which i loved until we got it home and it doesn't hold magnetically on the front. there is just not enough room on the side of the fridge to hold everything. also a fun tradition folks can steal if they want: we collect magnets from the states where we have had "family time". um, i hope that's not tmi.
LAURYN: "Family time." Haha. I remember this conversation. Great stuff! Bummer though, on the other....
Posted by: jhud | March 11, 2009 04:00 PM
"Did you realize the Texas magnet is upside down?"
hahahahah I love it.
I collect magnets as well. I don't have states more than specific places (restaurants and cities) and snarky ones.
LAURYN: Upside down as it belongs!!! :-) Good thing to collect!!! I collect cities too (and countries,) but restaurants... may have to copycat!
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March 11, 2009 07:10 PM
Watch putting Texas upside down now! That just ain't right! Love the blog, and yes not only is my fridge covered, but so are my desk overheads, the burlap that coveres the inside of my cube, my bookshelves, etc. Girl, ya just gotta have your folks all the time.....allows you to have continual smiles for one reason or another. R.
LAURYN: Right on! (Except the Texas part. Smiles.)
Posted by: Randi Smith | April 2, 2009 12:53 PM
Awee. I'm on OUR fridge too! What an honor.
Posted by: AUDREY | April 3, 2009 03:59 PM