So after the BIG decision was made, we then had to decide what if anything we were going to keep. Both of us have some personal momentos we have collected over the years that we certainly want to keep. Some of them reflective of memories with each other and some of our respective families. We then discussed possibly retaining our bedroom set we purchased about 18 months ago (just in case). It is a beautiful Amish Wormwood Maple set. Colleen is pretty fond of it and it was pretty tough for her to let go of. However her Mom agreed to buy it, so this was an acceptable compromise for her. After all I did have to let go of our 60” big screen and our SONOS sound system. It was a fair sacrifice (at least in my mind).
This left us with everything else. As with many people there was A LOT to get rid of. We decided to give away much of the rest. Some things we posted on local neighborhood apps, some we simply put out at the curb. It was during this process where special moments were created. One gentleman picked up a wheelchair of Colleens that we put to the curb. He explained this was going to be perfect for children that visited the farm sanctuary where he volunteered. Another woman picked up a couple of angels we used to have on our deck. She told me that her brother recently passed away and she created a special part of her garden for him. These angels would be perfect for that area. Another woman took some couches and kitchen supplies for her daughter who just moved into her first apartment. She explained to me that her daughter was concerned on how she was going to be able to furnish her new place as she just started her first job.
We also made new friends in the process. Over the years we collected many flower pots, fertilizer and the such. We thought much of this was going to have to be thrown away or recycled. After posting this on a local neighborhood site, we met Deanna. Deanna had a use for almost all of it for a project she is involved with. Over a course of few days I got to know more about her and her family as we shared various stories about our lives. This made a daunting process raher enjoyable.
As I was looking for boxes, I met Joan and Allen who just moved as well. We also shared some stories with each other about the paths of our lives. As it turns out we had a desk that worked very well for space in their new home. After a few weeks passed, they sent us a very touching card thanking us for the desk and offering best wishes. They let us know they think of us and our journey whenever they look at the desk. When I read the card, I got a bit emotional. This card came at a time where I really needed a boost.
A few simple gestures of giving, offered us so much more in return. Madison is the first community in our adult lives where we really felt at home. It will certainly be missed.
