Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Things

I recently had a sibling die. Younger sibling. The sibling I that was closer to in age, temperament.....the one I would call with that question about family, call about who this or that person is, the one I would call just to call.
Being "executor" or "personal representative" (whatever the politically correct term is now....), it is up to me to go through things and empty the house. This sibling got most of the things from our family home, plus all the little, left over things. And this sibling loved "things" like I do/did. As I go thru things it began as fun, discovering old photos, finding this scapbook or that clipping.......then as other heirs come through and started  "picking"......not so much fun.
As I went through, the things that were even the least sentimental would end up in my car. As others went through stuff, I'd try to entice them with  "oh Mother used that for so-and-so" , or "Daddy always used that", and watch them just plop it back down. Condition meant nothing to me, if it was sentimental. Then the other heirs started grabbing things with any value....piling them in boxes, haphazzardly, much to my, I guess, horror.  And as I had moved through, carefully going through things, and keeping things straight, they'd leave piles of packing paper torn on the floor, drop photos......
Things...... now our own orderly house is not so orderly. And as the deadline for clearing out the house looms, I'M the one to have to take to Goodwill......Things.......maybe not so important. Sure I've kept valuable stuff, old photos, especially of me and my sibling.....but the Things others leave behind amaze me. Their own photos.....Then I think, should I be keeping the things I'm keeping????
And even as I sit here at my desk and look in the cubby holes,and think of the drawers below probably stuffed....... People, go through your own things and get YOUR life and things in order. As I've gone through drawers I've thought what wound this sibling be thinking if they knew I was going through all these things???
I meet an heir today for them to take big stuff. I have movers coming tomorrow to get our big stuff. Then I guess it will be me to go through the left overs and see what is personnal and not wanted to be thrown away, what is TOO sentimental to throw or give away, and just throw away that stuff that no one else cared about helping.....
Things.....everyone, go through your own things.
Maybe minimalism isn't so bad after all ?????? No, not there YET!