Her Stuff

 I didn't know how I would feel when I walked in.  Would I get all teary and sad?  Would I regret the giving?  Would I react defensively when others didn't cherish what she did?

Actually, it felt grand.  I must admit it was a bit weird seeing Mom's clothing on the racks and her paintings on the walls, but I knew she would be thrilled that someone else would appreciate her stuff ~ and better yet, be buying it at a re-sale price.  And so I smiled when I saw her possessions mingled with other soon-to-be-someone-else's treasures.

When I was going through Mom's things, I tried to be mindful of her desires ~ what should go to the family, sold or given away.  It was really important to her where her stuff was going after she passed away.  And so, I tried to honor her wishes.  In the end, she wasn't the sum of her stuff, but they did have stories, of how or why they came to be in her possession, and its those stories that help tell the bigger story of her life.