As I work through 14 boxes of "Stuff we needed" and try to give that closet some breathing room, I find such precious treasures, in the pile of mess. I fill 6 bags and counting with shredded paper. The organization sites say I can let go of those 5 houses, that are no longer ours. But, the treasure of seeing our family grow up in those houses, can't be shredded. Starting on Georgia street, to Grants Parkway, then Apple Orchard Place, Sandy Shore, Mallard Crest & now on Marsh Pointe Dr, (with a few rent houses in between), I have been taking a journey through our life.
Kids school journal's and some special writing assignments reflect their love for our family. Lana's letter to Santa, asking him to leave a gift in her drawer, Alex wanting him to give to the poor, and Myra's rules of the Girl's Club, are a part of the Treasure Map of the Week.
Piles of unorganized pictures, (that I'm sure I've organized many times), stop me in my tracks. For now, they go in a pile again, and will be sorted and labeled for the stories to be told.
Boxes of "give-aways" are growing bigger, but when it comes to my kids, I keep those things close to my heart. Homemade cards, special notes, precious gifts.
It may be a chore for others later, but I am fresh from going through my Mom's treasures recently, and it lightened the load of my loss. She kept everything that showed the love of her family and friends. We got to see the way she loved us, and how we mattered.
When will it ever get done.... seems endless, but it reminds me that the journey can be sweeter, and the "Stuff remaining" has a bit of my heart! Or your Dad might need it :)
