I’m so sorry for your loss.
Very sorry to hear you have had this grief in your life.
At age 65, I should be thinking of retirement, yes? But while I enjoy time spent on my own (like A LOT…I’m essentially a loner who enjoys socializing on rare occasions) I also enjoy being out amongst the world, i.e., my workplace. Although sometimes they drive me batshit crazy as well.
Having just managed the move of my company for the 5th or 6th time over the past 22 years, I can safely say I don’t want to EVER do that again.
Then I come home after a 10+ hour moving day on a Saturday and look at all the stuff I’ve collected while antiquing and think '“I really need to downsize.” But…SO many memories on where/when/and with whom I collected these items.
Meandering thoughts while sipping my well-deserved glass(es) of wine and resting my poor, aching feet.
So you work until the next move (5 or so years given the track record)? And until then think of the shock on their faces when you say not another move (think pleasantly while you enjoy your well-deserved wine
As for the “stuff?” You can tag it with what it is\why it matters and let those who follow decide what to do with it from there.
I truly think this move made some realize all I do in a regular basis WITHOUT an office move tossed into the mix. They all got paid, their 401k contributions went into their accounts, new hires were sent offer letters, onboarding started for said new hires, any admin issue questions managed and answered, supplies bought, questions answered as to how to get a faulty offsite computer back to home base for repair, collections and invoicing (although our Acctg Manager did the majority of that part of my work for me this week!), dealing with Property Mgmt on any and all issues…
Don’t get me wrong. I love the diversity of my job. But having the regular shit hit the fan while the not-so-regular shit hit the same fan at the same time gets tiresome, and I have to bite my tongue and “just breathe” when it happens.
Maybe get a nice, long (but not serious or painful . . . maybe just something innocuous but highly contagious) illness? If nothing else it will give you a break and them a glimpse of the office without you. But make sure you are still able to eat and drink well through the illness
Someone once told me, you never get over it. You just get used to it. I’ve found her to be correct. Sorry for your loss.
Brilliant!
Easier said than done, but good advice nonetheless
Alas, for most of these objects, there isn’t much historical value in them beyond their simple existence. Cast iron match safes and stonewear toothpaste pots are the aluminum cans and plastic bottles of their day. They were everywhere, and while pristine examples are always nice, they’re relatively common. I understand the attraction of some things, an old coffee grinder or a hand forged chopper, but for some (decorative horse brasses?) the appeal is lost to me.
Very few antique shops will buy a suitcase fully of stuff walking in the door. I’ve gotten the names of a few estate sales/liquidators from those shops, and will be making calls once I cull off the few objects I want to keep.
It’s just so MUCH.
We installed a peaceful garden in the back lot of our home and each year we gather as a family, play music and celebrate our boys life. We did so this weekend. 14 of my guitar buddies showed up unexpectedly. It’s not about the rear view ever. It will always be the bitch of losing your only child with a crazy lingering sense of pride. He fought hard to live. Grief is never simple.
So Tyou all for giving me the space to say so.
Are there any local auction houses that could help you liquidate some of the items??
They keep a portion of the sale, but it might expedite the process.
My mother is still going through this with some of my Dad’s stuff. The last time I flew home, we cleaned out about 30%-40% of his garage junk, then she just got too tired of making decisions.
She had a lead on a guy that was supposed to come over and liquidate all of my Dad’s old tools, but the guy never showed up.
At some point, I’ll fly home and just get one of those roll-off trash dumpsters delivered. Whatever her local Goodwill won’t take will go into the dumpster.
I can only imagine. Losing a child is the most painful experience no parent should ever be subjected to. My heart goes out to you and your family.
Second hand/antique shops don’t buy from “walk-ins” because they don’t want to be “fences”. Maybe call ahead and provide photos of your “stuff”. All of the items you describe and show in your posted photos are very salable. How close are you to San Rafael’s French Market? You have the makings of a good table and could sell your residue to a dealer before day’s end.
Thank you for saying the inconceivable so well.
Irony: when you call the home health service to cancel the scheduled nurse’s visit because you’re sick
What a beautiful way to celebrate his life
I took one look at the Post’s front page news and couldn’t even. So i refocused on this adorable tea steeper that I’ve been using for the past few days after finding in a high cupboard
Brings me AM joy
@Rooster I’m so glad you have a supportive circle who understands that grief lingers, especially when certain dates arrive.
I can sympathize. My mom (95 years) has lost two of her four daughters–the oldest in 2020 and the third born in 2022. She still moves forward with her life, but on those certain days (birthdays, anniversaries, etc) I can tell it hits her hard. As you say, grief is never simple.
I always liked this Wordsworth poem:
The holiest of all holidays are those
Kept by ourselves in silence and apart;
The secret anniversaries of the heart,
When the full river of feeling overflows;—
The happy days unclouded to their close;
The sudden joys that out of darkness start
As flames from ashes; swift desires that dart
Like swallows singing down each wind that blows!
White as the gleam of a receding sail,
White as a cloud that floats and fades in air,
White as the whitest lily on a stream,
These tender memories are;— a Fairy Tale
Of some enchanted land we know not where,
But lovely as a landscape in a dream.