Opening space
“Keeper of Family Things”
Sharing Stories
June 20, 2023 at 10:52 a.m.
Lots of boxes were using space in Lorette's office and in her time.
...by Lorette Alpers
Long held treasures were unpacked from their dusty Rubbermaid boxes, one at a time. Somehow, eighteen years ago, when my mother died, I had been designated the keeper of all family things. Some were keepsakes, but most were not. That revelation came late in the holding.
After a few emotional days…taking me through my childhood and creating a longing for my parents and my sister…the last box was emptied and removed. I walked back into my office and took a big deep breath. The air was detectibly lighter.
I kept a few items that I loved and some that brought back pleasant childhood recollections. The rest were offered to my children and nieces. Though not a generation for holding onto objects, they did take a few items that elicited special memories of their relationship with my mom.
The tower of boxes had occupied one quarter of my office space for a very long time. I had equated relinquishing them with letting go of my parents, my sister, my childhood, and “valuable things.” What I discovered was that by emptying my surroundings of stuff, I opened space for expanding thought and creativity—to me, much more precious commodities. Happily, memories of my parents, sister, and my childhood remain fully intact.
Lorette Alpers, Washington State resident, did this piece in response to an exercise in Ariele’s online class called Basics Two for Writers.
SHARING STORIES is a weekly column for and about the 50 plus crowd living in the Puget Sound region. Send your stories and photos to ariele@comcast.net. Tell local or personal stories; discuss concerns around aging and other issues; share solutions, good luck, and reasons to celebrate; poems are fine too. Pieces may be edited or excerpted. We reserve the right to select among pieces. Photos are always a plus and a one-sentence bio is requested (where you live, maybe age or career, retired status, etc.).
SHARING STORIES is featured on www.northwestprimetime.com, the website for Northwest Prime Time, a monthly publication for baby boomers, seniors, retirees, and those contemplating retirement. For more information, call 206-824-8600 or visit www.northwestprimetime.com. To find other SHARING STORIES articles on this website type "sharing stories" in the search function above.
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