https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/17722754.column-what-to-do-with-a-lifetime-of-stuff/
That was unexpected wasn’t it? A dry, warm and sun-filled Easter everywhere in the UK. At last, it felt as if Spring has arrived. It was a joy to fling the windows open, though acknowledging that it’s not great for everyone. It’s also the time of year for the annual compromise between someone who loves a home full of fresh air and a hay fever sufferer. Another simple pleasure was to wash difficult to dry items, hang them outside and all were done by evening. Bliss. The downside is noticing that sunshine highlights grubby marks, fine spiders’ webs and perhaps a little too much clutter.
My parents died in 2010 and 2013 and I still have boxes to ‘go through’. Two friends are downsizing and deciding on what to do with a lifetime of ‘stuff’. Twenty-eight years ago I had a home, which meant a lot to me, but had to leave more quickly than I had ever imagined. I was more fortunate than victims of fire, flood and other natural disasters who barely have time to save themselves. I had time to walk around the house, looking at everything and deciding what I needed. Not wanted, but needed. I realised that it wasn’t the individual items in each room so much, as the irreplaceable memories associated with them. Taking emotions out of the decision-making, I saw replaceable pieces of wood, glass, metal, plastic and fabric. The decisions became easier to make.
I recall my mother trying to get my sister and I interested in what we could share when she had died, but that sounded too grim for us to consider and we wouldn’t do it. As it was, she lived for another twenty-five years. Now I’m of a similar age, I can understand how practical she was being. To this end, I have a folder on the laptop. I am listing various items, their history and why I have them. I’ve realised that while some items mean something to me, don’t hold any memories for the children, while others do. There’s nothing of particular financial value, only full of intrinsic value. When the time comes, the list will help the family make their decisions and provide some family history too.
©AlisonRRussell2019
©AlisonRRussell2019
