Survivor Saturdays: Beware of Spring Cleaning

As you're starting to enjoy the nicer weather and planning about your spring cleaning projects, you may be considering packing up some items that don't seem important. I know when M & I were moving shortly after residency, I couldn't wait to get rid of all those medical books and that graduation hood that took up half our closet! After calling around, I found out that some High Schools and libraries were happy to take some of the books off our hands, even though they weren't the most current. The hood was another story.

I almost stuffed it into a give-away box, but decided M would be mad when he found out. He is very sentimental and keeps tons of items we'll never take out of a box. Still, it was his hood so I stuffed it into a box.

Years went by until one day he was invited to speak at a graduation ceremony. "Where is my hood?" he asked. My heart sank as I asked why it mattered. I have to wear it for the ceremony. That's why I kept it. Oh my goodness, was I ever glad I didn't get rid of it! I dug through every box until I found it, glad that I hadn't done something stupid and thrown it away.

Moral of the story... don't get rid of that thing. It's possible to buy a replacement, but not only will you pay through the nose, but it won't be exactly what your spouse had before. Some colleges will give the MD a honorary doctorate and a school hood, but don't count on it. Keep that baby where you can find it later.