"When the Box is Empty"
by Mark Matteson – Copyright 2005
The King had a modest kingdom. He was
Danish. This meant he was proud, tall,
athletic and he enjoyed a quick wit. He was
married to a princess from Great Britain at a
very young age. They were both really just
children when they began their own family.
They had three children, two boys and a girl.
The children all shared one common aim, to
make the King proud. Each child vied for
the King’s attention and love, each using a
different strategy.
The eldest son used music to make his father
proud. The middle child, the daughter used
humor and dancing.
The youngest chose sports, knowing his
father had once been a great athlete, a
champion in several sports.
They had a modest castle, the King always
worked hard to provide for his family.
Demonstrating affection wasn’t something
he was ever comfortable with. So, in his
own way, he captured treasured moments by
making or collecting trinkets. Each little
symbol represented a special family
moment. Some were shiny, golden; still
others were like little bells that made a
sound when you picked them up. There
was a story for each trinket.
You see the King was a gifted storyteller.
At dinner he would open up the box and
hold up a trinket and smile.
He would look up and to the right, and
then tell a wonderful story that
would have the children laughing, crying or
shaking their head in disbelief.
Telling stories became a family tradition.
He encouraged the children to begin
collecting their own trinkets and stories.
As it is with most children, they obeyed
their father and began filling up their boxes
with symbols. Though the children were
never very close, there were moments of
family joy. They were all very busy trying
to please the King with their respective gifts.
As the years went by, the Kings Box became
a giant chest, ornate, hand carved and full of
trinkets. As the King grew older the quality
and quantity of the contents of the chest
improved. Soon the children had children of
their own and they maintained the ritual of
stories at the dinner table.
One day, the King reached in his box for a
specific trinket and found it missing.
Thinking this somewhat odd, he thought
perhaps he might have given it to his
youngest son. He forgot about it. The next
day, the same thing happened; a specific
trinket was not to be found.
What the King did not know was a thief had
snuck in the night and stolen the shiniest
trinket. The thief liked the trinket so much,
the next night he took a different one.
Because there were so many at first the King
didn’t notice. You see, this thief in the night
was relentless, insidious, crafty and brutal.
He was sneaking into his chambers and
quietly pinching the King’s most treasured
possessions, his memories.
One night the Queen heard a noise that
startled her. She lit a match and held up the
candle beside the bed. Holding it up high
she saw the thief…it was a raccoon! He had
a little bell in his hands. The light scared
him and he scurried off with the bell. The
queen had long since suspected something
was wrong, now she knew. She gave it a
name. That terrible raccoon. The King
wasn’t crazy and neither was she.
Something really was taking the King’s
most treasured gifts.
The next day they put a lock on the chest.
That would stop the thief. The raccoon was
too crafty. He picked the lock and kept
stealing trinkets every night. The queen
tried an alarm, a special light, and guard
dogs, nothing worked. Each night the
raccoon kept stealing the King’s prizes. One
day the box was empty! It was a sad day in
the kingdom. The children came and sat at
the feet the of the King and Queen and cried.
There was nothing to do.
All the memories were gone. The King had
no more stories to tell. He was silent. He
sat there with a far away look. That was
how it was going to be. That is life when
the box is empty.
After a time, when the pain of the empty box
came a little easier to accept, the Queen said
to her children, go home, go through your
chests, your boxes of trinkets. Choose the
best ones. Each time you come to visit the
King, bring a trinket and we shall put it in
your father’s box. We shall tell that story,
and laugh, cry and enjoy it as something
special. I will guard it.
I will keep a constant vigil. In this way, the
raccoon can never take your stories. When
we get together we shall honor the King in
this special way.
So it was, once a week, the children would
bring their children for a visit and drop a
trinket in the box. This brought the children
together in a way that never existed before.
The raccoon was very unhappy about all
this. He still tried to get in the castle, but the
love of the family kept him on the outside,
looking in. Though he tried to keep stealing
as thieves do, he never took another trinket.
Love does that. It’s not something even the
smartest thief in the world can take. That
was the lesson learned in the Kingdom.
The box was full until the day the King
finally passed away. When he did, he was
surrounded by children, grandchildren,
stories, trinkets and love.
Only one life that soon is past; only what’s done with love will last.
Mark Matteson
To people all over the world, that ever suffered the terrible pain of losing a loved one to Alzheimer’s. I understand your pain. The night I read this story to my youngest son Evan, we wept together, holding each other tight. I pray science one day finds a cure for this terrible disease. In the meantime, may this little story bring you and your family comfort. May it bring your family a little closer together, as it has mine. Send this story to someone you know that is suffering. Perhaps it will heal the pain of loss for them or their children just a little bit. Grief is a form of energy and must find a way out. My hope is you make the time to put some trinkets in your family’s box. It won’t feel quite so empty.
Love,
Mark Matteson
Ugly Dog Publishing - Copyright 2005
Mark Matteson
877.672.2001
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