In my mother’s stuff, I found an 8 1/2 X 11 manila folder full of papers and drawings I made in elementary school. Math papers with yellowing stars stuck at the top. Misspelled holiday greeting cards made of crackling, ancient construction paper and a felt Santa whose glue had given up its grip. Three sentence stories about “My Pet” that described dressing my small dog Bingo in doll’s clothing. I didn’t want this old stuff, but I desperately wanted to know that my mother saved it, that it meant something to her.
Please leave a comment with your first 50 words on the topic “stuff.”
First 50 Words - Prompts for Writing Practice 
On these cold and dreary winter days I have been going through things I have saved. From my children are cards they made during school years. Cards and letters sent to me through the year. Envelopes and boxes filled with memories. Special notes from friends, grandchildren and dear ones that have gone on. Once again I just put them back in their saving place.
My parents saved things. Many things. Things most of us would have tossed years ago. Perhaps it was the Depression and the war that made them such savers.
As we sorted their stuff after my father passed away, I found an envelope, marked with a German word I recognized as one of the concentration camps. Puzzled, I looked inside. Photos tumbled out. I looked at the first one and my stomach turned. Where did my father get these?
A Etheree
Growing up too soon
Stuff
at home;
memories
of times gone by.
Beaches, stately homes,
wet museum days out.
Lay-by pop and cake picnics
when bees chased jam. Was mum ill then?
Did her dancing mask the rotting decay?
My childhood packed away before it’s time.
A Lanturne
My
childhood
thankfully
car-boot sales stuff
now.
The spicy-ricy goodness of this newfound delicacy warmed my heart as it tingled my palate. My friend Michael told me it was called boudain (that’s boo-dan for folks outside of the South) and his brother made it in the small meat market he owned in Port Arthur, Texas. When I asked him what all was in it, he paused noticeably and said simply, “Stuff”.
That’s all I needed.