Memories

I have mentioned before how I am cleaning my house thoroughly while I have some time.  I have de-cluttered throughout the past year and now I am in my basement working on decreasing the amount of "important mementos" we've managed to keep for the better part of 50+ years. (since childhood) I have recycled and up-cycled and tossed away boxes of papers, small appliances, books, and clothing; given away toys, school supplies, clothes, and boxes.

Someone asked me why I was bothering to clean all of this out now?  Isn't that what children and grandchildren are supposed to do? Everyone has to take time out of their busy lives to clean up and sort through years of collections when their parents/grandparents downsize to move to "the home". Won't they have fun going through old things and reminiscing about found treasures? Didn't I have fun doing that with my Grandmother?

Well of course! In fact some of that is down in my basement now! I am not giving away everything! I still have a lot to sort through. All of my sons sport trophies, balls, bats, football helmets, knee guards, and deflated footballs are down there.  Professional pictures we had taken when they were in sports are sitting in boxes waiting to be displayed in their next place of honor. Going through all of them brought many smiles and happy memories.  Man, do I miss the days of youth sports!

We have old Christmas ornaments from my our deceased relatives and little trinkets and souvenirs from Ireland and Germany. I bring them up now and then but I don't have the room to display everything at the same time.  I have had fun going through old boxes of memories. Sitting down there in an old comfy chair, with the music blaring, sneezing from the dust, sometimes I run across something that makes me laugh out loud.  Like a book my son Nathan wrote in 1st grade.

Every now and then however, I stop to catch my breath because a box of clothing or books will remind me of journeys we are still on.  Like my son's drug addiction for which he is still in treatment.  I think of everything he is missing out on now or has missed in the past.  Watching his niece grow up, spending time with relatives who will not be here forever, the death of a friend, the aging of his Grandparents ~ life.

While in the basement the other day, commenting about the "hundreds" of boxes of possessions that belong to my kids, my son Nik said to me, "Mom, that is all Zack owns - it is his whole life ~ please wait until he comes home to go through all of that with him". I will.  Especially when I look at it all and take into consideration that it only takes up a 3' x 6' section of space. All the possessions he owns in the world. I can certainly wait for a better time that I know one day will come.