Keeping It In The Family

Source: Anita Lim

If you are in your mid twenties, you have most probably left home to go and study at a university or a college. You end your courses and then get a job returning home every once in a while to visit your family.

During your time at college or Uni you have become a dedicated Filofax user, a regular reader of Philiofaxy, and you chip in with the odd comment or question on the blog or one of the Facebook groups. Trawling Flickr and Facebook you envy the older Filofax models people share the pictures of.

It is during one of your visits home that your mother or father tells you they are planning their silver wedding anniversary and they want to see if you are free on the date they have in mind.

Instead of pulling out your iPhone you reach in to your bag and you pull out your Filofax organiser, with a well practiced flick of the finger you undo the popper, your index finger goes for the 'Today' tab, and then you flick the pages forward to the date in mind, the pages gliding over the rings.

Your mother has watched you do this, it took just seconds, her mind is full of memories from 25 years ago, she remembers those same set of actions you have just performed when choosing her wedding date.

You look up and you see her smile and then those immortal words, "I had one of those planners you know....it is upstairs somewhere"

Thoughts about the party date are pushed to one side.

'Where is it' you ask.... 'Can I see it, please'

"Yes, of course I will get it in a minute..... So are you free on the 26th?" Your mother asks.

'Yes, I will write it in now' you respond quickly making a note on the page using your favourite pen.

'Can we go and find your planner now, Mum?' You say in an insistent, pleading tone.

Your mum looks a little baffled by your sudden interest in a planner she used back in the 1980's. You follow her upstairs leaving your father with his head in his Daily Telegraph reading the sports section, muttering about England losing by 20 runs.

You enter your parents room, you wonder when your mother will grow out of the Laura Ashley decor. She reaches for the handle of the bottom drawer and pulls it, it sticks, but it eventually opens, you are there keen and looking.

She reaches in to the bottom of the drawer and pulls out a burgundy Winchester, you fight your urge to snatch it from her hand. It looks perfect, you want it, what a find, already ideas for a blog post, the You Tube video are speeding through your mind.

Your mother flicks open the popper and opens the organiser, the pages have yellowed with time, the brio ink has faded a little, but it is all perfectly readable. She turns the pages, she chuckles to her self as the memories of when she was your age come flooding back as she remembers what she was doing back then, the new job, the parties, the shopping list for her wedding.

She continues turning the pages, the old inserts full of information from a bygone era, the slightly hardened plastic of a 1980's plastic envelope with a photograph of your mother, big hair, shoulder pads, lots of make up. You laugh together at that.

Then she passes it to you, you feel the soft leather in your hands and as you are engrossed looking at it, she says those words you have been longing to hear.... "Would you like it.....I don't use it any more"

You look up closing the organiser, clutching it to your chest, your eyes are wide, you are almost lost for words.

'Oh yes please' trying to contain your excitement.

Your mother smiles, then surprises you again.

"I have your grandfather's her somewhere....."

Can this day get any better???

I will let you finish off the rest of this story in your own imagination, but next time you do visit home, ask your mum and dad if they ever used a Filofax....they might still have them.......

All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.