Once again we find ourselves in the
sorting through of
life
as we have done maybe seven or
eight times
for my own parents, several moves
and after two then became
one
for my Gran sizing down an apartment
then
to a nursing home
and after her passing
to what remained
for in-law’s moves a couple of times
and now again for a 92 yr old mother-in-law
the necessity of
sizing down
we have done, my husband and I
the physical stuff, the emotional stuff
the exhaustive
stuff
when there is time, when there isn’t time…
the sorting through memories and such
the holding on, the letting go
and we are again in the process of bringing it all
the extras, the excess, the obsolete
here
to our house, to be sifted
each time we have carried in boxes upon boxes
and bags
piled it up, and piled it up
and when there is time..
we begin
to eliminate
amazing what one can accumulate in a lifetime
and what things we continue to
carry with us
useful things and used less things
the flotsam and jetsam of everyday living
and always one thinks, I will not keep this much stuff
(but of course we do)
keep
outside my window,
I have been keeping my eye on
blue balloon
he has now moved back up to the front garden
where I can see him from the window by my chair
with winter temperatures getting increasingly frigid,
and he with a little sag and a little wrinkle
I’d been thinking possibly that
he had reached his final
resting place
but Wednesday morning, as a frosty wind blew
I said to my husband, quite excitedly,
‘Blue balloon is on the move!’
I wonder if it is because he is so free
that he survives so
inside him is
the breath of life and outside
he shines
he has fresh air, sunshine and the company of birds
and at night
he has the stars
important things in life to accumulate
gratitude
love and admiration
breath, and spaces to breathe
sunshine and the
freedom to
move… when one wishes
and always, a time
to rest
the wisdom to know
what it is we should keep.. holding on to
and a gracious reconciling of
peace
when it is
we are asked
to let go ♥