Flipping on Queen Street with a Dirty Mattress

Today one of the strangest things happened to me.

Yesterday my partner and I got our new bed delivered to us, after 4 weeks of anxiously waiting for delivery. 13 years I had been sleeping on that mattress. Many memories, many smiles, many cries, the first time I shared a bed with beloved cat, Neefah and a few special women. At the time I got that bed, it came as a gift from my Ba (grandma), at a time when my parent's couldn't really do more than keep the rent paid and food on the table.

I remember thinking of how much of a blessing it was that my Ba bought me that bed and I felt a flood of gratitude towards her. It was hard to throw the mattress out yesterday, and I did feel emotional, as if it was some special part of my Ba that was left to me. Ba past away at 93 a few years ago.

Today as I was waiting for the streetcar at around 8am, I saw a man off in the distance, turning off my street. I saw him pulling something large on a cart right on Queen Street - yes I mean on the road during rush hour! Believe it or not, it was my mattress. I smiled and began to form wobbly tears in my eyes, This gift that my Ba had given me was now going to help someone else out. As he past by me on the road, I wondered should I say "hey that was my mattress! Don't worry about it having bed bugs or being dirty, it was in good hands. Enjoy it." But then I thought again and decided that would be odd. So I let him pass by without saying a word.

I couldn't help but wonder who that Asian man was and who this mattress was going to rest now - was it him? His kids? His mother? All I can say is, remember that your trash, or warn and old goods could help someone out. So before your dispose of something after saying goodbye, don't be sad or blue, just be thankful it could valuable to someone new.