Ever So Slowly

Ever so slowly, my daughters are helping to sort, store, and clear out the accumulated flotsam and jetsam in my house. It has become the storage bin for nearly forty years. It was a nest of books, papers, bills, receipts, checkbooks, toys, and other things that weren’t worn out to be tossed immediately.  What I considered memories will one day become a burden for my kids. Now, I am letting the kids decide what to keep and what to toss. So much accumulated stuff.

Many of the things my wife Cindy and I kept, thinking that one day the items might be something that each child would want to save. I know that my mom kept things that I made for her when in grade school until the paper became too brittle and too ragged to keep.

When close family members passed away, much of their collection of things were divided and those items were incorporated into my accumulated “treasures,” each adding another layer, like the ancient civilizations that built and rebuilt their cities, one on top of the other. Photographs, newspaper clippings, and receipts were passed along for me to sort, a daunting task. I am so thankful that the sorting and tossing decisions are happening now. This house is too large for just one person. I either need to downsize or take in borders to help with the work and upkeep of a four bedroom house.

Ever so slowly, progress is being made. Hopefully, before the cobwebs and dust overcome my feeble attempts to keep after them, I can simplify my way of living.