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Between Friends with Bob Ann Breland

Back during her good days before she left this earth, my sweet mother would say “When I am gone, you children are going to be surprised at all the things I have collected and left behind.”

Knowing she didn’t throw away anything of any importance, we were not really surprised at the many things she saved. We spent a lot of days going through her treasures before they were sorted and distributed. We did the same thing with Dad’s.

I looked around not long ago and realized the massive size of things I have accumulated in the 50 plus years we have lived in this house. I knew I needed to start going through my hoard and decide what may be important or not to my children when I am gone. Some of my joys and interests are not theirs!

It is a little disconcerting to think about, but with another birthday looming, I realize I am not getting any younger and none of this stuff is going away unless I do it. It is an overwhelming task and the more I pull out, the bigger mess I have. Many things don’t mean a thing to anybody but me.

I thought about seeing perfectly beautiful items in flea markets that obviously had belonged to a mother or grandmother. It is a bit startling when you realize the lovely china so carefully tended may wind up in a flea market with a really embarrassing low price tag. It doesn’t seem so important to some anymore.

I try to keep this in mind as I go through the countless things I have saved. I won’t even bore you with the various items, but I have a lot of “stuff” because I have always been interested in a lot of things. None of it very valuable money-wise and most I couldn’t give away if I tried, but I still have problems tossing it.

Some hold garage sales on a regular basis and get rid of things they don’t use. At my age, I can’t even wrap my head around getting ready for such an event. I know one person’s junk is another’s treasure, but who really wants those out-of-date clothes still hanging in my closet?

I purchased some big plastic containers and earnestly waded in…in several rooms. If I put something away, thinking I will never need it again…I will be looking for it just about the time I forget where I put it!

I am a saver. If I can figure out a use for any item at all, I will keep it. A lot like my Mom. Without pack rats in the past, where would you find all those antique accessories that people of another age failed to throw away when the new ones came along?

I continue sorting. The children know our real family things to keep, but I hope to be able to relieve them of the burden of deciding what to keep, what to take to the flea market or toss away. I think about letting somebody else do it for me, then I look at things with sweet memories and I think again.

Some things are really hard to do as we grow older. I have hundreds of photos, many paintings and have spent years working on genealogy. I have lovingly warned that I will come back and haunt them if anything happens to those.

Hopefully they will love our things as we treasure those of our parents — gifts left behind with memories attached.