Unsettling

The "keeps"

We're unsettling in order to settle again. I've gone through moves many times; yet each time feels harder than the last. I don't mean to sound dramatic (or gross), but it's a bit like disturbing an old sore. There's a psychological ache that comes with examining the "stuff" of one's life to determine what deserves to move onward.

In the past week I've been going through my children's old toys. The girls are gone now. One is married with a child of her own; the other graduated from college and follows her own path. What to do with all those stuffed rabbits, puppies, dinosaurs, orcas…

I snapped photos of each toy and sent them to my daughters. The girls can decide which toys to keep and which to give away. My eldest daughter was quick to give me guidance. I spent an afternoon separating her "keeps" from her "giveaways".

Bittersweetness is to sit and look at each of your children's toys and remember the story times and bedtimes and holidays we shared. Giving away these toys feels like giving away precious memories.