Yesterday was a difficult one, filled with work that should have been done ages ago, that the whole family had been avoiding for some time. It's not really finished yet - but the back of the job is broken now, and I can see the end in sight.
Mum died four years ago last March. Four years - I can't believe it's that long! Her partner - our stepdad - a lovely bloke - went to join her earlier this year. That was hard, it was almost like losing Mum again.
Think is, that although she has always been with us in our thoughts every day, she's been with my niece in a much more literal way - inasmuch as a bedroom at my niece's house has been filled with boxes of "stuff" - things that we couldn't bear to get rid of when we cleared Mum's flat. My brother and I struggled hard, but in the end we chickened out - went to the stationery shop, bought loads of archive boxes, wrapped our childhoods up in bubble-wrap and hid it in the corner. Except it wasn't hidden from my niece, who really could have done with that bedroom back a looong time ago.
Anyway, she finally lost patience and demanded that we do something, and yesterday was the day appointed. As usual, other things conspired to get in the way - visit to Dear Husband's daughters arranged for Sunday had to move to Saturday as they both have part time jobs now, I had a mammoth work project with a deadline a week shorter than I had thought - like 9am Monday! But things had to be rearranged, and I got to my niece's house at 11am yesterday as promised.
The boxes had migrated from the bedroom into the lounge, (thanks AJ) which at least meant it was all on the ground floor, but now the lounge was filled and it all HAD to be moved - and in the next six hours. 80 years of life, stacked in boxes, to be sorted, stashed and spirited away, in six hours. No pressure...
It was a struggle, but it got done. Well, mostly. A Fiesta-load of boxes left with a startled charity shop, and another load stacked up to go on Monday. A bin-bag full of shredded paper - not sure why we carefully packed away all the neatly filed gas bills and bank statements. A carrier bag of assorted saucepans and roasting trays to go to the recycling centre. We reduced the load of boxes from a bedroom full to an estate car full, which was a big achievement. Whilst boxes and boxes of paperback books were easy to say goodbye to, there was still plenty that wasn't. Grandmother's china and the remains of her cutlery canteen (along with quite a bit more!) were lovingly loaded into the car and there they sit. After getting back here at 2am, and the monster report to do, I didn't feel too much like a return match with the boxes - but at least I can believe that it won't take me too long now. I can't leave them in there for another four years.
So, dear niece, thank you for looking after your Gran's legacy for the last four years - and I am truly sorry that we left it so long.
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