I love packing up the house. I get to go through all of the cupboards. I get to see things I use every day and then,.....I get to sort out the stuff I haven't seen in YEARS. I get to go down memory lane, when I find those diaries that I wrote in, 25 yrs ago. And those photos of the kids when they were small babies. The photos of mom and dad, my brother, and all the cousins, aunts and uncles and grandparents. The medals from the swimming carnivals that the kids used to attend. Swim practice. The certificates that the kids earned from their classes. The Halloween costumes that we made up for, on our first and second 'Trick or Treats" with our neighbours. Just to let you know, Australians don't participate in trick or treating. And we even stirred up the local pastor who declared ON RADIO that he didn't think it was something we should encourage. (my 15 min. of fame or infamy)
And every time we pack, I find my troll doll that I used to play with, along with my aunt. She was more like my sister, than an aunt, as we're only 2 years apart. But everytime I hear the Monkees, or Herman's Hermits, it throws me back to when I was about 8 years old heading to their house near Pasadena.
I found pictures of my mom and dad who have since passed away, but with a flood of memories, the emotions come flying back. The excitement of being married, the excitement of showing off my new husband, and moving to Australia. Then the realization. We're here and we're not going back. The pain and the guilt of the choice I made. And then motherhood. The joys, the fears, the frustration, and the determination of having and raising children. And then onto another move, but this time as a family into a large country town. Working hard to keep everything going smoothly. And again the happy times as a family, but gathering friends with you, who also become family.
But, this time is different. This time, the kids are gone, my mother in law has since passed away, and it's now just me and Chris. So there's not as much to pack away and I'll have it done much sooner than I expect. Sorting out the bedding and furniture is the easiest part. At least,...this year it is. I have learned to keep everything to a minimum because of the many moves we've already done. But this year, it's just me and Chris moving onto the next stage our lives. Downsizing again. So out goes the furniture, out goes some of the manchester, out goes things that I don't need, use, or haven't seen for a long time. But not the memories. They stay with us every year and every move.
Chris and I have been married for 31 years now, and in that time we have moved 15 times. This is our 16th time. And as much as I've protested over the years about having to move. I really do look forward to the changes. That next adventure, that's around the corner. People come and go in our lives, but our memories are always with us, through the things we collect, whether it's photos, keepsakes, music, or knickknacks. And it's THOSE boxes that I love going through the most. So if you'll excuse me, I need to grab the box of tissues and finish the packing.
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