Ratty Doormat
I came home from work this afternoon to find a surprise in front of my apartment door, and the following letter:
April 22, 2008 (Earth Day)
Jennifer,Your frog has been mentioned by the people who clean our lobbies as the most deteriorated mat at (apartment complex). I said I had thought of buying you a new mat, but thought that there must be some sentimental value. I looked for another frog, but didn’t find one. I hope you like the cats. Maybe the frog could be made into a wall hanging? As I write, it’s been some time since I’ve seen it, but it seems to me the problem was more with the backing than the top side.
Uncle Jim
Accompanying this letter was a new door mat with cats on it, which I didn’t get a picture of. Hmmm… I don’t know what the problem was with my old door mat…
Okay, so maybe it was time to give up the ghost, but there WAS some sentimental attachment to it. Even I had to admit that it was time, and since my uncle (who is also a maintenance man here) went out of his way to buy me a new one I felt like I couldn’t put it off any longer. I could have pulled off the backing that has managed to come loose, but the rug was much worse off than even the picture does justice.
I thought about holding on to it for awhile longer, but I just couldn’t justify it, not when I’m trying so hard to weed out all the extra junk I’ve held onto for years. Even as I’m writing this though, there’s a small twinge that makes me wish I hadn’t… it’s just a rug. It’s just a rug. It’s just a rug. *small sigh* 
April 22nd, 2008 at 10:42 pm
Awww… that was so sweet for him to buy you a new one! Sorry you had to give up th frog. It look like it was cute back in the day.
April 23rd, 2008 at 12:06 pm
Ha – the sentimental value we place in things.
When I moved, I couldn’t bring my house’s doormat to my new apartment: the ex and I had picked it out together, and for some reason that memory is more vivid to me in my mind as making our house a “home”— so it got left behind.
So, now we need a pic of your new mat!
April 23rd, 2008 at 3:31 pm
Haha, it must suck to get a letter like that, at these times one thinks to oneself, how come I never noticed that, was it that bad that it was the topic of discussion for some people?
But seriously the frog is kinda cute and i would not want to throw it away if it was mine
April 25th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
How sad to give up something with such sentimental value
((
April 28th, 2008 at 4:10 pm
that’s funny…but sweet they bought you a new one. Our doormat has a bite mark out of it, and says beware of dog on it…it’s an exciting life i lead, eh?
May 2nd, 2008 at 12:44 pm
That is so sweet that he got you a new one!