I fell in love with the Instagram account @thekeepthings when my friend Casey Mulligan Walsh had a piece published there about her dad’s shaving brush. Immediately I wanted to write about my dad’s marksmanship medal, which I discovered in a drawer after his death, but somehow, I never got around to doing it. I became an avid commenter on The Keepthings posts though, because I related in some way to almost all of them. Then out of the blue last December the account creator, Deborah, said in a DM, “I think you might have a story to tell.” So finally, I wrote!  Deborah’s editorial instincts kept pushing for more detail till I almost gave up, but then insight arrived when I jotted what became the opening line. “My dad wasn’t much for kid stuff.” You can read my full piece on Instagram or on Substack. I recommend reading all The Keepthings posts! Each one is a gem.

green ribbon with gold pendant hanging at the bottom