As my grandma moves up in age, and my aunt (her third child) is at the pinnicle of a 32 year teaching career, there comes a time in every family to decide the future. My aunt is closing on a beautiful new home tomorrow. My grandma is leaving her home of 40 years and closing this chapter of her life to turn the page on a new chapter. Today, I sit with my grandma, mom, and aunt starting to go through 40 years of storage, 62 years of marriage, 61 years of children, countless laughs, tears, sorrows, births, deaths, sacraments, and life.
Today, we opened the box of her wedding dress that she hasn’t been able to find for years, she put on a kimono my late grandfather brought her when he came back from the WWII, found her Joske’s credit card, my grandfather’s dog tags, report cards from the first three of five kids, and the funeral book of her baby that died after 1 month 16 days. And this is just the start of the process.
We’re scheduled to move her into the new house on March 13th. I can’t imagine the thoughts she’s feeling. She’s been a widow over 40 years. How do you just throw away and sort through collections of your past that have no monetary value? Things! They’re just things. The Good Book says to not put your faith in material possessions. But one mans trash is another man’s treasure.
I have a hard time throwing out old magazines, how can she toss her moss eaten, stained wedding dress? But what is it worth and who would want it? God bless her, she’s trying to give thikngs away to anyone who will take them. I’m the first person to sell on Craigslist, but I don’t think these possessions have any value, they’re so old. So, I’ll do my part and take anything she gives me. Save it somewhere, and someday relive the day we relived memories with my grandma.
