My old valentine bag

I'm participating in Mama Kat's workshop. My prompt: a photo that captures a special Valentine.

Tim gave me this Coach bag on Valentine's day eleven years ago. It was our first Valentine's together. We were engaged, trying to figure out a date for our wedding that coming summer. It was a heady time filled with love, hope, excitement and confidence about the future.

Eleven years have taken their toll on the bag. The color is faded, especially around the edges. The leather is worn. It's not as smooth or as supple as it was eleven years ago. Scratches, scars, cover the whole bag. And styles have changed. The backpack is no longer the bag of the moment.

But the inside is surprisingly clean, just some paper bits and gum wrappers floating around. An EpiPen that expired in 2004 lies hidden in the inside pocket. The zippers zip easily, the buckle holds the bag shut efficiently, and the ties tighten around the top of the bag. The bag works.

When I sling the bag onto my back it yields into me with a comfortable familiarity, the straps just the right length.

I think there's still a lot of life left in this old Valentine bag.