Mama Said to Fly Anyway

My mom is special. She's the deeply sentimental type one doesn't come across very much anymore in our throw-away society. She keeps things, lots of things, but I wouldn't call her a hoarder, nor would anyone who has ever seen her pristine home. In fact, I'd say she's a master organizer and a treasure-keeper, who meticulously stows anything with heart and/or mind value that comes her way.

Recently in preparation for a move, she cleaned out treasures she'd saved for decades, such as teaching materials from her long career in education, Easter bunny figurines from my childhood, and lists from helping me plan my wedding. She also unpacked and repacked for safekeeping numerous items with which she still could not bear to part, like dresses sewn for me and my sisters by her favorite aunt, who has long since passed on.

There were also a number of things that made their way to my house.

If you're wondering whether I responded graciously, I admit that my initial reaction to being gifted with things I don't need was irritation. Mainly, I was annoyed because as a mom to kids with too much stuff, I spend way too much time finding places for things in my house, and this meant I had more place-finding to do. I'm glad to say, however, that I made an effort to somewhat mask my feelings because I know a lot of thought went into deciding what she would re-home and where. And let's face it, there's nothing that says I have to keep this stuff!

It has taken me a few weeks to go through the bags and boxes she brought over, and with each package my feelings on the matter have softened. I've been reminded that my mother is the keeper of my childhood memories--as my sisters and I grew and left home and eventually started our own families, she continued to hold the space for the past we left behind. It's a place that I revisit in my mind more and appreciate more the older that I get.

The above photograph is of a slice of wisdom I found in some of my mom's re-homed papers. I asked her today how long she'd had this document, and she's not sure, but she thinks it's from one of the two elementary schools where she spent her last years teaching. Since she's been retired for more than a decade, this piece of paper is likely 20+ years old. When I read it, I knew exactly why she had saved it all these years--through two moves, 6 grandchildren, and many seasons of life.

My mom saved it because she's a mom and a teacher, she found it inspiring, and she thought it would help someone. She was right.