A letter of dedication and affection

Dear Kleenex,
There is no ignoring it. Today as the sniffles have escalated, the sneezes too numerous to count, congestion mounting with the full realization I must admit – I have an early spring cold. No fever and its misery, no queasiness or upset stomach, but I feel miserable and no one has been able to help me like you. I have to say thank you from the bottom of my heart, thank you for being who you are!

Thank you for being so ready and available, sitting on my end table and bathroom counter, in squares and rectangle boxes, prepared and ready for action even though I walk past you daily without reaching for you. You don’t hold our family health against us – you don’t blame us for not having the coughing, wheezing, gasping for air from large amounts of phlegm reaction to winter. You do not accuse or withhold your presence. You, oh gentle box of tissues, are so forgiving and reliable.

How can I express my gratitude for the so many perfect things you do – your accordion style fold which allows another tissue to be ready, clean and prepared for access for the next time I sneeze or have post-nasal drip? You are always packaged with boxes of friends, I find you in groups of 3 or 6. Your box, when it is emptied of your tenderly organized treasures, is the perfect capacity to hold every single one of the used tissues taken from you. You are so amazing – help with the mess and then clean it up too!

So many products at the store try to alleviate the part of life which has pain, discomfort. Do you try to lie to us, to me, that we can have a life that has “No More Tears”?!. No, emphatically not. You embrace life, and all its reality. The fact that life has tears is why you are ready for me. Tears when I am mad, frustrated, moved, happy, joyful, lonely, blessed, laughing, anxious. Can there be anything I don't cry about? A birthday card commercial has my eyes wellin', and you are right there, just an arm's length away. There are so many different reactions to the facts of life, and frequently with me, that walks hand in hand with tears. You know me, the real me and have never run out of the folded layers of practical help.

I can find you in single ply, 2 ply and 3 ply (what I have needed from you today.) In squares, rectangles, plain boxes or decorated with Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa or Van Gogh’s Starry Night or Monet’s Water Lilies, you are there to help share my personality, an additional decorative recognition of my personality and style. Junior size or extra large, your layers of gentleness easy the problems I face.

Your oval containers are exceptional! You offer tissues in gorgeous ovals that you let me, a small consumer, design and label. I can take my photo and give you the details and you will put my wedding picture, or of my children with grandma and give me my very own Irwin box of Kleenex for $5.00. You know that although I appreciate any choice you make for me, I will be captivated by the look of joy on my children faces every time I reach for a Kleenex, knowing so deeply that it just might be one of them, and the love I feel for them, that brought tears to my eyes in the first place.

When I accidentally leave one of your tissues in my pocket and it happens to travel through the washing machine and dryer with the laundry, you are so kind and considerate: you do not shred and attach yourself to every single item in the load. You, through your amazing design and ingenuity, you clump together, attaching yourself only to yourself. You don’t make me pay for my mistakes, my negligence. You don’t take a job I need to accomplish and make it harder the way other tissue manufacturers do! No, you are Kleenex; you are compassion in a box!

I can find you with Menthol (what a comfort when I can’t breath), Ultra soft (for the sore, tender red nose from wiping and blowing) in any color I choose. I carry you in your Pocket Tissue form (24 per package – a perfect fit in my Bible) and you in this package are the perfect complement to any gift I distribute at the Nursing Homes and hospitals for 1300 people. No one ever says no to a pack of Kleenex, you will always be needed.

You’ve helped me pull out baby teeth that are hanging on by a thread, and you were strong and reliable. You didn’t fall apart in the face of hard work, you kept it all together. You are on hand when someone’s tears are just spilling over from the harsh words a friend said or the unfairness of sharing a bedroom with a brother or the boo-boo from a fall that is just too much to handle without a good cry.

I know you were created to help take off cold cream, a makeup removal, but for me, you are a trusted and established friend in a time of congested need. Thank you for always being ready to help when help is needed most and not shying away from the parts of life which are not neat and tidy, but instead are moist and messy.

With affection and devotion,
Sneezy on Lake Erie