... also known mostly as junk I think. As I said before I spent the weekend clearing out my room at my parents so that they don't have to move my stuff with them (subject to contracts, they got the house by the way). I was fairly ruthless, keeping all my art projects right back to gcse level was neither practical nor useful after all, so most of them went, but I still came back with a good amount of stuff in my car. I think Dad gave me a lot of it though, like 4 deckchairs for me to replace the slings on, a piece of blue marble that used to be part of our fireplace when I was little and we might make into a table or something, a cold box full of frozen fruit that we're babysitting for mum, 2 bags of apples from the garden, and a plant. So really only about 2 boxes were mine. It was an interesting couple of days. I didn't actually get upset looking through my stuff, it was seeing the village for the last time, and the people there who have known me since before I was born (mum went to church with her suitcase packed, so that's kind of true). Anyway, Mum refused to get rid of some of my toys and games from my early childhood, so they've started a 'grandchildren collection' to keep at theirs, consisting of these:
board games/toy cars and care bears/puppy and kitty in my pocket
I had a scary amount of puppy in my pocket, a shoebox full of them to be exact. I also brought back this little suitcase, it was my mums when she was at school, that's her timetable inside the lid. Its currently holding some old wooden bowls that we bought a couple of weeks ago at an antiques fair.
This is what I had to say goodbye to:
I know I'm silly, I know its only a place I haven't actually lived in for 7 years, but I'm very sentimental about it. I was born there, christened there, I was in my dads choir there, I went to school there, brownies/guides/rangers there, worked there, and thought I'd marry there. But I'm really looking forward to being able to see my parents for lunch, not having to take time off work and visit for a week, I'm glad they've made this decision themselves to move closer, that it wasn't forced on them by age and distance, and now I've said goodbye I feel better. Also, when I came across the top of the pennines on the A66, saw the sign for Cumbria, and the lake district spread out on the horizon, I actually felt like I was home. One of my friends told me a few weeks ago that home isn't bricks and mortar, its where James and the cats and my parents are, and coming home on Saturday, I started to believe it.
Aww I can imagine your sadness. I'm dreading the day my parents sell their house, I know it won't be very long now. I haven't even been there for a year but I love the village, I love our house, we lived there all of my life and my dad built it so it's only been ours. It's weird thinking I'll have no reason to go back to that village again once they move. But I think your friend is right, wherever your parents are will be your "family" home.
ReplyDeleteOh I feel so sad just reading about your parents leaving. They must have had such mixed feelings about it, on one hand leaving their home must have been so sad but moving closer to you must be so so exciting and happy for them!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was packing up my childhood stuff there was just loads that my mum wouldn't let me get rid of. She said I was completely heartless for wanting to get rid of school reports and ripped old toys!
Yeah, there are many reasons why they're leaving, Dad has been mentioning it for a couple of years now though, my in laws and I have had bets on for some time on how long it will take for them to move, I think James won! since I'm an only child at least they're not being torn in different directions. I think to be honest they've already mentally left home, and are just waiting to physically leave now, so I'm not sure if they are sad just now, it may only hit them when the removals men turn up and take away what makes the house their home.
ReplyDeleteI had to throw out a full bin bag of soft toys, I used to have over 100, now reduced to about 12!