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| The Mama and Two-month-old Me at Our Favorite Picnic Spot in Monterey |
The Mama was 94 years old when she slipped into eternity. So, of course she left lots and lots and LOTS of stuff behind. Lucky me. I get to go through it all and decide what to keep, throw away, reuse, recycle, give away, or possibly sell.
I was about to say that it's easy to figure out what to do with some things. It's not.
The other day I found an envelope on which the Mama printed Susie One Year Old. Inside the envelope was a bunch of my one-year-old self's hair.
What am I going to do with that?
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I know Susie! It's really hard. My mother was 94 when she died -- and yes -- I understand perfectly what you are going through. (I felt guilty everything I threw away. Whereas my own stuff goes without a thought.)
ReplyDeleteI was freaking out about her religious artifacts. I didn't like the idea of throwing them away or donating them to even the Catholic run thrift shop in town. Then, I read online that local parishes may take them and give them away. So, that's what I'm going to do. Thank goodness.
Deletei would frame it!
ReplyDeleteHave a nice abcwednes-day / - week
♫ M e l ☺ d y ♫ (abc-w-team)
( http://melodymusic.nl/abc-wednesday-18-s/ )
That's a possibility, Melody. Thanks for the suggestion.
DeleteI scanned the envelope with my mom's handwriting for my hair and then threw it away. No one is going to want to have to sort this stuff when I'm gone.
ReplyDeleteThat's what I keep telling myself. I have no kids to dump this all on. :-)
DeleteBless you Susie! <3
ReplyDeleteThank you, Cloudia.
DeleteCherish every photo, make an album!
ReplyDeleteAnn
LOL The photos are from the Mama's albums. I do cherish them, for sure.
DeleteHope you have peace about what to keep and what to send along it's way.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ellen. I'm setting aside clothes that I don't want anyone else to wear, but I don't want to dump them. Something will pop up.
DeleteDNA adventure?
ReplyDeleteEither way - so much to discover - and YOU are exactly the perfect person - for lots of reasons . . One of those reasons??? All the STORIES . . Story Treasures . . every one filled with love.
Cloning? hahaha
DeleteCome to think of it, every little thing has love even the things that we think are horrible.
You = makin' my heart happy . . .
DeleteYou must have cried a little when you saw what she kept. I did when I found my hair when I was a baby and when I was a little older. As well. Moms are such sweet souls
ReplyDeleteYes, I did. I also found my little sister's hair. I cried, too, more so for the pain of her death for the Mama.
DeleteOh, I don't know. Take a picture of the hair with your mom's writing then you can throw away the hair?
ReplyDeleteNice picture of you two.
http://www.36hourworkweek.com/2016/05/s-is-for-starbucks.html
Another good idea. Thanks, Carin.
DeleteGood for you for pushing forward with going through your mum's stuff. It keeps you in touch with her in a way that I would find comforting at this time. You've made me think though - I have such little envelopes with bits of my children's hair. I don't need them and my children don't need to worry about what to do with them someday. Out they go!
ReplyDeleteSometimes comforting. Sometimes not when I get overwhelmed with everything. I'm glad you said that you'll be throwing out your children's hair, Pondside. You give me a mom's perspective, and one I want to hear. An idea is brewing -- maybe a collage of some of the Mama's stuff including this bit of hair. We shall see.
DeleteAww..sweet!!! Keep it safe!!!
ReplyDelete:-)
DeleteI think it would be a shame to throw the hair away - maybe you could have it made into some jewellery you can wear? This is a UK site - http://www.shpangle.co.uk/Lock_of_Hair.php - but it'll give you some ideas, and there must be places in your own country doing a similar thing.
ReplyDeleteThat's an interesting idea, Eunice. I'm not much of a jewelry wearing person though.
DeleteI was going to suggest taking a pic, but Carin beat me to it. :) ... love the Mini Susieee. :)
ReplyDeleteI can't get over how I was already half of her height. Such a handful I was from the start. lol
DeleteHey, you should pass your hair onto SOMEONE ELSE!
ReplyDeleteROG, ABCW
Yes, that would be a mischievous thing to do. :-)
DeleteI left my husband's things until we moved. Then I sorted through most of them, but some I still kept. Just last night I was cleaning out my closet and decided to donate my mother's coat. She died in 2001, but I kept it in case I ever needed a winter coat. I think I wore it once. It doesn't get cold enough here. Right now it's in the donate bag, but I'm still thinking about it and might keep it yet. I kind of do that...I go back and forth. One thing I have is a memory box. I've written about it on my blog. I think that's what you need. If it was me I'd leave the lock of hair in the envelope and put it in the memory box. I have all sorts of little stuff like that and every so often I sit down and go through the box. I keep it right on the coffee table in the den.
ReplyDeleteI think that when I've finally gone through all of the Mama's stuff, I will have a refrigerator size box full of memories!
DeleteI just thought of something else. I have an antique coat rack in the den. On it I have my husband's Houston Texans jacket, my dad's Chicago White Sox jacket, my son's high school jacket, etc. It's kind of a memory coat rack.
ReplyDeleteI love that, Betty. I have something similar with hats, except they hang from pins.
Delete