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The new year is a good time for a clean start, isn't it? I know the popular term is spring cleaning and usually done in…spring. But for those of us in the Sandwich Generation, any time we have a couple of free days and a willing helper, it's a perfect time to do some weeding and decluttering.
Thus, last week found me and a loved one at my storage unit working through box after box of photos, letters I've received over the years, copies of letters I sent over the years (a great way of keeping a "journal" of your life), dishes, home decoration, and old (really old) receipts. We spent hours, two days in a row, going through everything in the storage unit. Then I spent even more hours at home, weeding through the boxes and bags we brought home with us.
The end result was 15 boxes of unnecessary paperwork shredded, several boxes of items donated, two boxes of sweet memories to share with others and a few boxes of forgotten but important items to keep in my office.
It was a time full of laughter, a few tears, tons of fun memories and being reminded by God that "our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ…" It was difficult, cathartic, and freeing – all at the same time. The nice thing was I got to be the one to do it, just as my folks had been able to do as well.
It was a gift to me AND a gift for my kids and grandkids. I really appreciated that same gift from my senior parents and I'm so glad I am passing that gift on to my own kids. (We won't mention my attic, which is the next project on my "Spring Cleaning" list.)
If your senior parents have a lot of memorabilia, bills, and other items stored, and are in good health, you might ask if they would like help de-weeding and de-cluttering. It's definitely easier and more fun with good company. But, of course, we have to be sensitive to their feelings. It took me years to be ready to do this. I've heard such sad stories of families who have gone in and totally weeded out items as a "surprise gift" for elderly parents – leaving many devastated hearts in the process. As with so many of the Sandwich Generation issues, this is another one that requires kid gloves and walking carefully on the tight wire balanced between helping and hurting our beloved seniors.
Even if you only weed out a couple of boxes, as my loved one and I did a couple of years ago, that's definite progress. Even just talking about it can be a "seed" planted for the future.
How about you and your aging parents? Have you ever decluttered together? How did it go?
Good for you! I am in the process of a new year clean out, as well. It’s vital to all of us but I never thought what a great gift that is to the next generation. My grandmother was just moved out of her home into a Senior Living apartment complex. It was a big down size and a lot of emotional work. How much easier it might have been for my father and for her if she had begun that work before it was necessary.
🙂
Traci
Spring has not arrived here either, but I have been cleaning out closets and getting rid of things. At this sate of my life, do not much.
My mom has been taking this on herself. She was in the shredding mode yesterday – said something about shredding papers from 1983. Receipts or something. I admire that she is getting things easier to take care of for herself – it’s not an easy thing to do – emotionally or otherwise. But, from what I’ve watched her do – there’s a time to keep and a time to get rid of things. Admirable. Frustrating. Real. And, you’re right – it is overwhelming when I realize this is not the end – that all this is not heaven. Some day we’ll know though. Until then …
Happy Pink Saturday. Jenn
The idea of getting my Mom to agree to even consider de-cluttering or de-weeding her homes — the idea of even suggesting it to her made me laugh out loud! She and my little sister are in Michigan and I am in California and I have promised that little sister that when the time comes to go through it all, I will be there — otherwise she might hurt me! It is going to be some long weeks! And LOTS of boxes!