Off Limits!

Back when I was a small tyke, I had no clue as to the value of things or that items could possibly have "value" or even what the word meant. As most children see things..so did I. My most prized possession was a "Ruthie" doll that I received one Christmas. I so loved this doll since she shared my middle name of Ruth! She and I did everything together! I even continued to love her when my brother decided that her hair was desperately needed to make a fishing lure. He lopped off a goodly portion of one side of her hair. Sad to say she was lopsided from that point on and this was far before quirky hairstyles were in fashion. That doll had value! (She probably would now if I still had her! Not saying that I am old or anything but....well..) Still at the time, I could not fully comprehend the whole concept of value. I do remember that there was a small tin roadster that sat in the top of the closet in Mom and Dad's room. High up on the top shelf and pushed to the back was "Dad's car". We were not allowed to play with this car so it was hidden behind the hat boxes and other "closet things". I had no clue as to why my dad had a toy and surely why he would not share this toy with us. We were..after all..always taught that we should share our toys! It bothered me a lot to know that toy car was just out of reach! I so wanted to race that car across the floor with the diecast ones that my brothers owned! I was quite sure that being a roadster, this toy car would far outrun any of theirs! But noooo....Dad would not share his car! But..I listened. I obeyed the rules and did not touch the magical car! It sat in its secure place just out of sight..and out of reach!

To this day, I have no idea of the actual monetary value (if any) the car possesses but I do know that it has a lot of sentimental value! (Sometimes, I think that far outweighs the other anyway!) Just before Dad passed away, he gave me the little car. One day when he was very ill, he asked me to get the car for him. Even though I was grown, this still made me a bit nervous! I was actually going to touch the tin car! Pushing a chair to the closet, I climbed up and moved boxes aside. There sat the little orange roadster just as I remembered it. I carefully handed it to Dad and he looked at it a bit before handing it to me. "Here..take this home." was all he said. He was smiling as he handed the car to me. I suppose he knew that I always admired the toy and perhaps this was his way of rewarding me for always obeying his strict rule regarding it. I just know that since the day he gave it to me, the tin toy has sat high on a shelf in my house! My kids were told never to play with the little orange roadster. No matter how much they begged to hold the car, I refused! Mom would not share her little tin car! The car and the rule were handed down to another generation! The tradition lives on!