"So every week, I continue to try to find things suitable for donation, the garbage can or recycle can. As I am getting a meager amount out the back door, some new stuff always finds its way in the front door."
Yo! Baby Boomers! This is mostly for you! What I am about to tell you might be old news to many, and new news to some. But it is the truth. It is something of which few of us ever expected. Something our parents did not warn us about, as it did not exist when they were our ages. I am talking about downsizing. How hard it is, as our kids totally turn they backs on our (valuable?) stuff.
First a word about the Greatest Generation - that be the Boomer's parents. I will be specific and talk about my parents. They were blessed to have lived to 90 (Dad), and beyond (Mom). I am convinced my Dad thought he was going to live forever. Married for 66 years, they lived in the house they loved for 50 of those great years. Never had a garage sale, never took too many things to Good Will. Everything was going along great, until my Dad developed throat cancer at 89. He died right after turning 90.
My sister and I convinced Mother it was time to sell the house. Since nothing had ever been downsized, it became up to us (mostly me) to decide what was saved, what would be sold (if anything), what would be donated, and what would be tossed. So many things ended up in the last category, I had to hire a roll off garbage trow to sit in my parent's driveway while I filled it to the brim with "stuff". Eventually we got the house sold, Mom moved in with us, along with a heck of a lot of her remaining stuff.
Flash forward to today. Items which have been treasures of my parents, grandparents, and beyond, are looked upon as clutter-able trash by our daughters. Everything we have tried to give them something in a "downsizing" move, we get either a "no thank you", "pass", or "are you kidding me?" So downsizing has been a chore.
My oldest daughter has been the least of help. Besides taking practically NOTHING of ours, it seems like every time she comes over, she reminds us of our advancing age and how much stuff we still have. "You guys should really downsize some more." Duh! We are trying to! But it is hard.
The problem is, we all get attached to things. Many of those things are items we will never use again. But we know if we let them go through donation, sale or throw away, there might be that one in a million chance we will need them again at some time. So every week, I continue to try to find things suitable for donation, the garbage can or recycle can. As I am getting a meager amount out the back door, some new stuff always finds its way in the front door. AHHH!!!!!!!
This afternoon, I will be cleaning, organizing and tossing once again in the garage. Yesterday was the basement. I am sure I speak for many of us Boomers when I say this - it is the basements and garages which become the biggest magnets for "stuff". The piles of "I will get to this later" and things like that. Well, that "later" is now, and it is time to get busy.
Some take the quick way out. Close their eyes, plug their nose, and call 1-800-GOT JUNK, or some company like that. For a fee, they will come out and take this burden from you. That might after all, be the "easy button".
In any event, I know this issue is near and dear to many of us. I have talked to some friends who absolutely agree with the conundrum of stuff. Wish me luck, as I dive into the never ending pile once again today. And tomorrow. And the day after tomorrow. It never ends.
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