The Things You Keep

Ain't this one precious!

Things have been quite stressful since my father-in-law passed away…the business to tend to, the packing up and putting away of both material things and memories, the grieving and acceptance that a precious little man is no longer with us. I say "little" because Dad was about my height (5'5") and weighed around 110 pounds. But he had a big heart. And a wonderful sense of humor. And a laugh that would brighten any room. He was also a packrat, as many of his generation are. So the going through of his belongings is no small task. Especially since his wife's belongings were never put away after her death 10 years ago from leukemia. Fifty years of accumulation of stuff is overwhelming to say the least.
Of course, there are many things his son and daughter will keep—pictures, keepsakes, small treasures. And they have to go somewhere, so this has led to nights of cleaning our own garage. And you've heard the saying, "Like father, like son." My husband inherited the packrat gene.
In going through our garage, we unpacked tubs that had not been touched since our move 4 years ago. Most of it was just things that we had owned for years and hated to part with. But there were a few sweet surprises tucked inside some of the boxes. I ran across some pictures of my son when he was 18 months old asleep in his great Granny's lap. And great Granny asleep with him. Pictures of him kissing his "Nanny" while she slept. Pictures of him in his Papa Carl's boots on the front porch of the old homeplace. I sat in my metal chair and boo-hooed like a baby. If you're going to be a packrat, these are the things you save. I hope they make you smile today.