We all have that one thing we’d hate to be without. Maybe it’s tucked into a kitchen drawer or sitting within arm’s reach at all times. It might not look particularly important to anyone else, but to us? Absolutely essential. So we asked our readers to share the things they simply can’t live without, and their answers prove that sometimes the most ordinary objects carry the best stories.
The list ahead includes practical picks, sentimental treasures and a few items we didn’t see coming. Some will make perfect sense the second you read them. Others may have you thinking, Wait, that’s what you can’t live without?! And they will definitely all prompt you to consider of your own must-haves.
Read on to discover the nostalgic and wonderfully relatable things our readers can’t live without, along with the heartwarming stories that make them so special.
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All you need
My needle and thread. They’re two things, but one doesn’t work without the other. My hands are always busy creating: in my sewing room, in the car, on vacation, in waiting rooms. But the most special times with my needle and thread were in the evenings when my late husband and I would sit in our chairs and watch TV while I sewed. He was always the biggest fan of whatever I was working on. After he died, it took a while before I could pick up my needle and thread. I’m creating again, but tears come easy when I look at his chair, and I still hold up what I’m working on and turn to his chair to “show him.” —Steven Cook, Eagle River, Alaska
Pencil pusher
As long as there are ideas and mistakes and I have the ability to change my mind, I need pencils with good erasers. I keep them in my workroom, my car and my crossword book, and by my bed. I use them to keep my changing calendar of dinner dates and my grandson’s baseball games, make to-do lists, jot down promises. A pencil allows me to be an imaginative, but fallible, human being. —Mirjam Spaar, Severna Park, Maryland
Joe on the go
Many people say they can’t live without coffee, but I take it to the extreme. I carry a coffee maker with me wherever I travel. When I worked as a flight attendant, I spent many nights in hotels and couldn’t risk going without that morning cup. My fix—no pun intended—came from the smallest coffee maker that I could pack into my crew bag. It was a single-brew machine that worked magic every morning. —Amber Jensen-Veney, Blairsville, Georgia
Drawing the line
I’ve worn heavy black eyeliner ever since I was a teenager. I was enthralled by characters on shows like Bewitched, Star Trek and I Dream of Jeannie. My kids always told me to tone it down. I’d tell them I must have lived in Egypt in a past life. Once, I visited my daughter while wearing just a hint of eyeliner, sans my signature black wings. She didn’t even notice! Needless to say, I went right back to my winged eyeliner and haven’t looked back. —Linda Vassallo, Gorham, Maine
The unforgettable moments
I couldn’t live without my memories. Glimpses of long-ago days in a totally different world from today—a simpler time with loved ones, friends and pets who are now long gone. Hopes, dreams, disappointments, childhood adventures. All that learning, living, loving. They’re all memories now, and I’m grateful to have them, even the bad ones. —Jan Wolf, Fort Pierce, Florida
The missing piece
Before COVID-19, I hadn’t put together a jigsaw puzzle in years. But since, I’ve completed 169 of them, usually while watching TV, listening to audiobooks or participating in conference calls with the video off. I feel naked if there is not a puzzle in progress, or a new box on the table. —Pat Fridgen, Greencastle, Pennsylvania
I hear that
More than 45 years ago, I told my (not-quite-yet) wife that I needed to bring two things into the marriage: my dog and my stereo. Those were deal-breakers. Bullet wasn’t a problem, since everyone loved him. My stereo, however, included two speakers the size of mini-fridges. Being so large, they can’t go just anywhere, but they did go everywhere I went. Today, our beloved Bullet is gone, but my wife and my speakers are both still in excellent condition and a consistent source of enjoyment … and I love them BOTH. —Ron Enners, Bolivia, North Carolina
Michelin possible
On my fridge, you’ll find a weekly menu. (E.g., “Monday: Vegetable soup. Tuesday: Fish and rice.”) I started it to keep me on top of meal prep and scheduling when my kids began extracurriculars and I was working part time. I still write up a new one every Sunday, even though our kids have moved out. —Becky Bores, Monroeville, Ohio
Picture perfect
As a photographer, I feel lost without a camera nearby, whether it’s a professional DSLR, a small point-and-shoot or even a phone camera. Photography is so much a part of me that on my wedding day, I slipped a small camera into my suit pocket, and at the end of the ceremony, I took a selfie of us and all our guests. The guests all knew about my passion, and uproarious laughter erupted when I pulled the camera out. The image I took remains one of my favorite photos of the wedding. —Michael Leonard, Yarmouth, Maine
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