Cleaning Out Sad Stuff.

[Virgo10]

I guess it doesn't matter how many years go by. There are some things that will break your heart to get rid of. When we moved to Florida, there was quite a bit of stuff that just got piled into boxes. Said boxes have been occupying space in the garage ever since.

Over the last couple of weeks I've been attempting to go through a box a day (yeah, right ). Well with luck I get 3 boxes done a week.

Today I hit the mother load of things that made my heart hurt. I found all the condolence cards from when my Dad died. This was back in 1982! I went through all of them, kept a few but the rest went out to the trash. I'm the only one left in my family who cares about such stuff and I've committed those cards to my memory.

I also found the birth and death certificates for my aunt, my father's sister. She was born on March 10th 1915 and passed away on August 12th, 1932. She was only 17 years, 5 months and 2 days old. I never knew her but always wished I had.

On a lighter note, I found my parent's wedding certificate and a lock of my father's hair taken when he was only 21 months old. Seems funny to me that his hair as an adult was quite dark but the lock in the envelope is golden blond.

I also have my grandmother's birth certificate. She was born in 1886!

I'm done cleaning for today. I will ponder the fragility of life for a while longer though.

 

[Serena]

{{{hugs}}}

There is no way I could get rid of that box of memories. But I do admire you for trying to clean out stuff.

 

[disneymom3]

Oh, I know how that is. I am sorry about the sad things you found, but the hair and the marriage and birth certificates are pretty cool.

 

[Mary Anne]

I have those same boxes of stuff. Mass cards from my father, gone 32 years. The other day I found my mother's SS card, with here name signed by her on it. I just about cried when I saw her handwritting. She's gone 18 years this July. Make sure you put the stuff in a plastic water proof box.

 

[DVCLiz]

Yep, it's my summer to do that, too. While DD has been at camp this week, I've begun a sweep of the downstairs. I finally got rid of my step-father's last suitcase from his assisted-living apartment (old boxer shorts, anyone?) as well as a box of kitchen stuff I was holding on to because it was my mom's. I know I'm never going to roast a chicken like she did, but it was hard to give away the big roaster (even though it doesn't fit in my oven.) I think I've kept everything I really care about, but it feels good to finally be able to purge some of that stuff.

I have found that it just takes time. Each year I go through more stuff, and some of it still is meaningful, while some of it has become "stuff." I think everyone has to go through it at their own pace.

 

[Mary Anne]

You know I agree about it taking time to get rid of stuff. I went through boxes of all school stuff from my kids, since my oldest is starting college in the fall, I finally was able to let go of the homework from 5th grade. Now exactly why was I saving it? On the other hand back into the box to be "saved" was his "What I did in 2nd Grade project," full of pictures from him from his first day of school that year through the end of the year party. I also kept, a project he did on Japan in 1st grade only becuase I remembered how much work that was and I had to call all over the place looking for the research material. To this day I really wonder exactly how the teacher expected a 1st grader to do that project the way she wanted it. Maybe when he graduates college I'll be able to let that one go LOL

 

[patsal]

as you work through the boxes. My Nana's death is still recent (Sept.) but about two years prior Papa had a really bad heart attack and had to go to assisted living. I'm still going through the things from their house. I just boxed it all up and put it in my garage until I could get to it and this is my summer to get to it! Hopefully I will be able to get through a couple of boxes per week. Since my biological Father is gone as well, I am the last living relative(of age) and that can be very overwhelming.

 

[Mimi Q]

It took us years to "be ready" to clean out my grandparents house. Lots of tears when we actually did it. Lots of hugs to you.

 

[ceiligh1]

My parents garage has become the family time capsule for my dads side of the family. When we cleaned out my grandparents house we found boxes from my great aunts and uncles as well as great grandmother so there is a lot to go through. It is hard to do sometimes, looking at the photos and missing the people in them. But we have found that sometimes it helps to remember the fun times as trite as that sounds, while you are doing it, that way you dont get too sad.

You never know what you may find. We found a form from the police office of my grandfathers hometown. It seems as a teen he was fined for being drunk, of course it was during prohibition but the fine was $75, a lot back then. Boy my dad wished he had known it when he was a teen.

 

[newholidayx2]

My husband & I were moving furniture and taking things off our walls (bedroom, den, 2 bathrooms, kitchen, living/dining) to get ready for the painter Tues morning. The cross from my Dads casket was on the bedroom wall. Hooks from when DS used the den for a bedroom 10yrs ago were under a Disney poster in the den. (wouldnt come off wall w/out ripping). Yes lots of reminiscing.

 

[palmtreegirl]

 

[Mary Anne]

On the bright side of cleaning out old papers, this week end I did the book case in the dinning room, found $60 in Old Navy cards that are still good, I called the number on the back and they are still active. $35 in store money from Macy's but the best $40 MICKEY DOLLARS!!! I felt like I hit lotto!

 

[DVCLiz]

Yep, in the bag I went through recently that had DD's baby things, I found the missing $250 in US Savings Bonds she was given at birth. She'll be thrilled when we go cash them in - that much more to take to college next year!!!

 

[AC7179]

I know it's sad..we still haven't gone through all of my granny's stuff and will died three years ago in October.