Friday, October 15, 2010

Dear Mom,

Acquiring things.
Acquiring more things.
Then tossing, giving, letting go of things.

I’ve observed my mom’s love of thrift stores and yard sales and consignment stores, and over the years she’s consistently, steadily accumulated objects (as have I, truth be told). Now, at the age of 86, (and may I add for the first time) she’s on a binge. But this time, a binge of purging, not one of gathering.

She calls me and gives me the purge report of the number of  bags donated. She also unearths things of value in between the stuff that has no real history or attachment, the flotsam and jetsam of stuff grabbed on a whim or given to us years ago.

Yesterday, she found a letter I wrote when I was four.

Then I didn’t quite fully understand how letters and mailing worked yet. I wrote a Dear Mom letter on the outside of the envelope, after licking the envelope closed with my young lips. I told her how much I loved her and finished the sentence with our address and a drawn stamp and put it in a mailbox. It found its way back, thanks to a caring mailman.

I love how things you treasure resurface in the mess and clutter of our lives. What have you let set aside only to have it find its way back to you? Is there something you hope to find??

11 comments:

  1. Beautiful! Now I need you to come to my house and teach my four-year-old how to write. We've just gotten his first name down.

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  2. My MIL is a big yard sale/thrift store shopper, and every year when she visits for Memorial Day we wake up at the butt crack of dawn to hit the sales with her. I've bought some great things over the years, but I limit myself with only a certain amount of money for the day. But it's strange to see my MIL act like she has to buy things or it wasn't a productive day. When her mother died she also got into a big purge phase, but it was just that: a phase. Oh well.
    The memory of the letter you wrote was really sweet. Just recently I found a pair of earrings that I thought were gone forever. Turns out I had put them in a fancy change purse the last time I used it, and forgot about them. It is so nice to find little things you thought were gone! `ICLW #78

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  3. Whenever I do spring or fall cleaning, I always wonder if what I am throwing away will be a sentimental 'I wish I would have kept it' item in my future. My mom keeps everything and in recent years I have enjoyed looking through my old school books and such when she's shifting things about. I do save letters and cards but I really want to make sure that I save other things as time goes on that shows what life was like as well...

    ICLW
    http://daega99-arewethereyet.blogspot.com/

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  4. That is so incredibly awesome about the letter.

    ICLW #163

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  5. What a find! I would love to find all our board games - we've moved into a new home and I swear I've opened all our boxes but they are still missing!
    ICWL

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  6. How sweet! My mother still has a note from my on her fridge that I can't help but read once a month or so. This also reminds me that I should probably update my diary that I've had since age 8 and have written in once every 3 years or so. It's fun to revisit where you were as a child :)
    -Megan, ICLW

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  7. That's a great find! I have read a few of the posts on your blog tonight and I wish you the best of luck in making a decision. I know it can't be easy.

    Emby
    ICLW

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  8. My MIL is a HUGE fan of thrift stores and consignment shops too! And often My SIL and I are the victims of her purging (gathering)! It's all good though because most of it goes to good use and I think without the need to "give" these pleasantries away, I would be scared of her hoarding capabilities! Anyway, not sure what treasures await me in the mass of photos and momentos I have in my basement but recently I came across one picture of my twin sister and I when we were quite young and there it is--my son! He looks just as I did as a baby. I'm your newest follower and I just added your link! Happy ICLW! #72 & 106)

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  9. I still have a recording on my voicemail at work from my step-son when he was around 6. It is so sweet.. I can barely understand what he is saying but so sweet. Thanks for this post.. it makes you think about the meaningful things in life!

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  10. Ironic that you just posted this. Yesterdady, I happened upon two prized possessions that I had safely tucked in a drawer. The first are two gold basketballs - state championship prizes that my late grandfather won while coaching. The other are several state charms from the 40s or 50s (possibly even earlier) from my grandmother. I have had these items for more than 20 years.

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  11. I've spent much of the day cleaning and unpacking, as we're still settling into our house. Somehow in the move, my bag of my best jewelry has disappeared... I am going NUTS trying to find it. I hope it turns up soon. As far as sentimental things, I was lucky enough to find ALL of my journals from middle and high school. Seriously TERRIBLE writing, but a great find just the same. I thought they had been thrown out years ago and found them this summer when cleaning out my parents' garage.

    Happy ICLW!
    ~Keiko, Hannah Wept, Sarah Laughed (ICLW #142)

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