My folks are moving house next weekend. After 23 years. Almost my whole life. I'm going home this weekend to clear out my room...so that a girl all of 10-11 years of age can move in, with her school books and skipping ropes.
I have never thrown stuff away. I am a pack rat. So I still have greeting cards from school. My "Life" and "Battleship" games. The rose and eclair cards from junior college. Gifts from old friends. I have them all tucked away in boxes. In cupboards. In desk drawers.
Packed away. But not forgotten. Its who I am. I don't let go. I move on, I keep the memories tucked away, but never thrown away. Everything I ever had, or received has been in that house. I was a wee little thing when we moved there, so I don't remember any place else.
I remember just some of the stuff that lies in my room. I know there are going to be a lot of surprises when I start clearing up. They say, when you move, you can look at all you're stuff and see your life in them. So I'm going to do just that. And list them here. I am going to take an Inventory of Memories.
The stuff that makes me smile, the gifts that bring a catch in my throat, and ones that make me remember. And I'm going to remember all those people, the incidents, and the stuff that has been a part of growing up in that house. And I'm going to pack away some of the stuff again. And throw away the rest. Some memories are past their shelf life. Its time to take them off the shelves and wipe the dust away.
2 comments:
Do you really believe some memories have a shelf life? Didn't you saved them up in the first place to relish them later?
Honestly??? I keep them there forever. And after actually doing the clearing up this weekend, they are more firmly entrenched :-D
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