Will anyone want my things or are they going to the Op Shop?
The little old lady was not always in her nineties. Once upon a time she was young, a traveller, a dancer, a party girl, a student, a worker. She had boyfriends, got into mischief and played practical jokes on others, there was always laugher. She had had a family her children and her incredibly wonderful husband. It was busy, fun and so full.
Sitting alone in her armchair she wondered if any of her grown up kids want her bits and pieces, her crystal glasses, dinner set, her furniture. She looked at the sketch on the wall and recalled the young hopeful architect student from another life.
My adult children will not see what I see or feel what I feel.
Cheers and Blessings
Hi Angie, hope this day finds you well.
This is a valid thing to worry over. I spent half my life liquidating storage units, and can tell you sadly I have come across many over the years where they had passed on and no one wanted the belongings. The last unit I bought in Tucson was a sad case.
They had been military, she had gotten sick and worked from home (not sure what her disease was). The son was a troubled kid, ungrateful and between legal bills for him and her illness they lost their house. He put everything into storage, and paid on it for 20 years before he died. It was a 20x20 unit, packed wall to wall to ceiling. Their lifetime of memories were in that unit, and I got it for under 800.00 and then spend another 500.00 or so on additional storage and hauling fees.
It's sad that the son or someone else didn't value their memories for the 1300.00 it cost me to obtain them. I could share so many stories, and when I first understood the treasures with no monetary value being liquidated it would eat at me inside.
I hope that she can share the treasures that lie hidden in those things with someone who will treasure them because they treasure her.
Hi practicalthought, what a sad story. I hope this beautiful old lady does pass her treasures onto others who will value them too.
We humans have a tendency to hang onto our things and to what end is my thinking these days. Young people are quick to say nope to our collected treasures. So downsizing is the only way because unfortunately some older people end up living their lives in one little room in an aged care facility. This is the harsh reality of life!
Howdy angiemitchell! hey I came here to read a fun story or see beautiful scenery and instead I get this sad story! lol. I hope this lady's kids appreciate her and her experiences, they might pleasantly surprise her.
Good morning janton, I hope they do. To me it is gathering the memories and we do not need lots of stuff, just a coffee table, a chair and a painting.
Howdy angiemitchell! I agree. And I think the older we get the more we realize that fact. Leaving a good legacy would be nice.
Yes it would.
Hey Angie,
Reading this while having my wee hour coffee before we begin day one of of my mother's estate sale. She's moving from her home into an assisted living facility.
I'm living that story with my mother now. A very sentimental woman, her home is packed with nick-nacks, papers, paintings, furniture.... all with special stories. She can only take so much with her.
You may recall that we recently sold everything we had and moved onto a relatively small sail boat. As we cleared out all that such stuff of our own, it pained me that no one really wanted any of it. It pains me even more to turn down memory filled objects my mother offers us.
It has been a stressful, but sweet, week of seeing, touching, sorting, and pricing all this memory-filled stuff! I pray that mom understands that it is not that we don't care, its just that our lifestyle just doesn't accommodate the accumulation of things. That lifestyle does, however, afford us plenty of quiet time to reflect and remember.
This week has been a good exercise in helping me release whatever pain I held on to as my wife and I tossed away many things that were once precious to us. After all, it is only "stuff."
Hi @michaelglass, yes it is only stuff in many ways but it still needs time to let it go. When my brothers and sisters were clearing out my parent's house we all chose what we wanted and did so in a friendly happy way. I did not get too much as I didn't have the room either. But, I find that my memories are the most precious to me. I hope your mum understands too, because that will bring her peace.