Just finished selling Mom’s home and seeing to the estate sale (she is still with us, in a nursing home). Seventy three years of memories. Stacks of photo albums which I will bury, not throw away.
I’m the only one on Earth to whom any of that matters.
Wife & I took what we wanted for decor but we live in 1600 sq. ft. I’m on the north side of 70 and viewing estate sales is depressing anymore. All those huge collections and world travelings and the owner(s) are gone. We all follow the same pattern; live your life, acquire stuff & memories, grow old & then it’s the nursing home or suddenly expiring.
We’re throwing away stuff from our youthful days that no longer matter (we met & married late in life; divorcee & widower). A few mementos in the china cabinet, some guns in the den, but there’s no one to hand it on to (no children from either previous marriage).
And our friends who do have children, their kids aren’t interested in things like sterling silver, fine china, crystal, or any kind of antique. My small collection of antique pocket watches, chains & fobs would draw yawns from the iPhone generation.
This thread has been a real downer. But I leave it with two reassurances: hope & faith in God, and the absolute death of envy. Somebody’s got more stuff than me? Whoop-ti-doo.
Whoa Death,,,
Our parents/grandparents are probably the first generations in history that were able to accumulate so much stuff over their lifetimes, before that, people really didn’t have much at all.