Lime Green Purses

A woman brought her lime green purse to a meeting last week.  She set her purse on the table with a thump.  "Oh, I like your purse," I lied through my teeth, "I had one the same color when I was in eighth grade."  And it is true.  In eighth grade I had a lime green purse with a zipper on the side and a zipper at the top and a long shoulder strap made out of silver chain.  The woman accepted my compliment and added, "This is one purse I never loose or leave behind."  I smiled but I really wasn't listening.  Mentally I was back in eighth grade again. My Dad had just come home from a business trip.  He said he had something for me.  As he handed me the lime green purse he said, "I hope you like the color."  Actually the color was horrific but the fact that he thought of me on his trip and brought me back a gift meant the world to me.  So I accepted the gift with grace used my lime green purse for a long time.  One day I set it on the kitchen counter.  Someone used the toaster and the vinyl on my purse melted onto the side of the toaster.  The purse was ruined.  And I went on to a new purse in a more neutral color.  I have fond memories of my lime green purse though.  It was the thought that counted.