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| photo courtesy of BostonGlobe.com |
Downsizing sixty years of accumulated “stuff” is
challenging. This past week my siblings and I helped our mom move from seven +
rooms in the home where she has lived since 1959 to a three-room apartment. It was
the right decision, but it wasn’t
easy.
While pictures, knick-knacks, kitchenware, and fabric appear
on the surface to just be “stuff”, the memories associated with these material items
evoke strong emotions just by handling them. Needless to say, sorting through
it all is exhausting on more than just a physical level.
How do you leave behind the old glass bottles you and your sister
had so much fun digging up from abandoned dumps forty years ago? Which of four
water pitchers, each one with an interesting story, do you choose to keep? Where
do you put all those holiday decorations, most of which were fashioned by
children and grandchildren, when storage space is at a premium?
Through it all, my mom has been a trooper. She has made the
tough decisions, sometimes with her hands on her hips in opposition to a
roomful of family with other ideas. She has moved what she considers essential
and maximized the limited space available in her new digs. I am very proud of
her. She has juggled her options and done it all without alienating anyone—and without
a trip to the ER. 😊
I hope when I am her age and faced with radical changes I
will show the same courage, wisdom, fortitude, and grace. Your prayers for my
mom as she continues to adjust, are greatly appreciated.
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| photo by Pam Williams |
Be encouraged!
Pam
©2017 Pamela D. Williams
