THAT'S ME...
*
Yep, there I am be-bopping-along as I take a week off from work. My plan is to go through my mother's belongings and household furnishings. I will save some, sell some, donate some, and trash the rest. Then I'll paint and clean. Piece of cake.
*
*I didn't see the sign. I didn't know what I was getting into. The house is a disaster and I've only cleaned out half of the master bedroom. Two dressers with every drawer jammed full. A full closet. Boxes packed under the bed. I have found items that belonged to every member of the family -- my mother, my father, Gary (mom's second husband, both sets of grandparents, all my aunts and uncles and a few cousins. There are old bank statements, Christmas cards, birthday cards, old speeding tickets. My mother "saved" everything. Why? Why, mom? Old plastic keychains from the Goldstrike Casino aren't worth anything. Old batteries. Flashlights (over a dozen and none with batteries.) Old, beat-up Thomas Guide roadmaps.
3 comments:
I haven't lost a parent yet, Chris, but I did lose my grandfather who was very dear to me. When I went through his things the first time I saved and cherished everything. I wanted clost to me everything that had been close to him. It's been 10 years now, and I just suddenly started being able to part with things 2 years ago.
I wouldn't want to trade places with you, yet I do feel welling up inside of me a sad fondness for the memories going through all those things would trigger inside me.
yeah. It can feel overwhelming.
BUT
(two things) I bet you learn things about your mom you never knew
AND
there are stories in all that stuff--maybe you'll be inspired to write one.
Thanks, guys.
I think I was blocking some stuff. At some point today it dawned on me big time that this one room contained touch points from every phase of my mother's life and all the people she valued. Heavy, as I used to say.
Story ideas: yep, several. The first is creating a character from only from the things in their room.
More later...
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