Special Delivery ~ Handle With Care

Boxes, so many boxes,

full of a lifetime of living and loving.

 

My dad passed away in 2000 at the age of 69, 

leaving my 65 year old mother 

alone at what was to be their retirement golden years.

It hasn't been easy for her.

In the last few weeks, my sister and I 

have had the bittersweet experience 

of placing my mom in an assisted living facility.  

Mom's memory 

just isn't what it needs to be 

to live a safe daily life.

And so the decision was made, 

with mom agreeing, to give it a try.

As we were planning what needed to be packed 

to move her from her 3500 square foot house 

to a 500 square foot apartment, 

she knew she wouldn't be coming back.

  

She decided she wanted my siblings 

and me to go ahead and start packing up 

all the things we were supposed to inherit 

and anything else we wanted.  

I suppose ~

it was her way of disconnecting 

from what used to be her life.  

Through the years she has marked items 

with post it notes, written on the backs of pictures, 

put stickers under collectibles ~ 

preparing for what lay ahead. 

None of us thought mom would be there, 

watching us pack up her life ~

all the while telling us about each piece 

and its family significance.

  

 Wondering what's inside this worn out box?

 All the family recipes shared over the years 

from both my grand mothers, 

aunts, cousins, friends

and of course my mom.

I love the hand written recipes ~

some of them 60 years old or older.

The traditional pumpkin bread recipe passed down 

through three generations

or my grandmother's apple butter 

wouldn't taste the same 

without using the flour sifters 

or galvanized sieve my mom used to use.

 Then there's all the vintage aluminum! 

I love it and have collected some of my own over the years. 

My mom broke the handle on the cake save back in the fifties ~ so my grand father took it out to his workshop and replaced it with an old glass drawer pull!  I don't care if it is dented or banged up....I'd keep it over a sterling silver one any day!

She was adamant 

that she did not want family heirlooms

to remain in the house with no one home. 

And so I sit here tonight 

looking at stacks of boxes 

filling up my dining room and living room.

Buttons from 50 years of marriage,

Marbles from my grand fathers and my father,

  Clay marbles found during construction of the 1996 Olympic buildings in downtown Atlanta that date back to the mid 1800's!

My mother and both my grand mothers saved things ~ 

everything ~

Can you imagine having a silver plate urn full of cigarettes 

and a fancy lighter on your coffee table?  

My parents didn't even smoke, 

except for the occasional pipe my dad smoked. 

  I guess it was just cool to have on 

display during that "Mad Men" era, 

just in case a neighbor stopped by for a cigarette!

They have been stored away for decades!

Some of my fathers items 

had been left untouched in his workshop.

It was like a time warp.  

So I picked up some of his little tools

and packed them in a metal box and a cigar box....

~ "things" he held and touched and used often.  

  

 

 I will do something special with them at some point, 

but for now, the boxes hold them for me.

Every time we would have a family dinner, 

mom would serve the food in her collection 

of depression glass bowls, 

from both sides of our family. 

She would tell us about Grand mama's Heisy bowl, 

or the Fostoria pieces or Sandwich Glass ~

~ or my grand mother's spooner or the Fenton hobnail mustard pot.

She grew up using them and they were precious to her,

just as they are precious to me now.

 ~ and so 

there are many treasures

and many blog posts to share in the future.

It has been an emotional time moving mom, 

but in the last few days as

I have unpacked just some of the boxes, 

I am overwhelmed with the fact that these "things",

represent my life, my parents, my family.

Mom's short term memory is failing, 

but she still remembers a lot from the past.

I hope and pray that she doesn't lose all her memory.

I will pay special attention and intently listen 

to the same stories I've heard over and over again...

as one day, they may not be there!

And then these boxes, 

full of memories,

will be all there is!

Boxes, so many boxes ~

full of a lifetime of living and loving!

Live your AUTHENTIC life ~ be the REAL you!

Blessings,

Martha