One Box At A Time

By Marcia Mickelson

We're moving this month, and I've started boxing things up. First to get boxed, were the books and toys. Looking through years of things that have been collected and stored takes a lot of time. I've pulled out old posters from my days of being a Mets baseball fan. I rolled that one back up--it's a keeper. Don't know why. I've done away with a box or two of books and clothes I will never read or wear. I've even secretly thrown away broken toys that my kids would be devastated about. They haven't played with them for years, but they would still be devastated. I recycled baskets of old papers, bills, payments stubs. Why am I still holding on to telephone bills from the 90's? Why do I have a box full of handouts my 8 year old was given in Sunbeams at Church more than five years ago? Yes, I still have Christmas cards from last year and five years ago. And, my college dorm photo directory from freshman year? Yep, still got it. I even have a dress from six years ago that doesn't fit, but it might one day, right?

Happily, a lot of this stuff has made its way to the recycling box or the garbage. I have a large section of my garage stacked with boxes of stuff we're taking. So, why do I look around and feel like I've hardly packed anything? There's still more to pack and only over a week to do it. People have offered to help, and that is very nice. But before I get to that point, I have to decide what else is getting thrown out. That pot that my mother-in-law gave me ten years ago? Yes, I think so. It's so old, and even she was surprised I still have it and use it a lot. She couldn't believe it was the same one she'd given me. I hate the kitchen, so I try to spend very little on kitchen stuff. That's why I still have the electric can opener we received as a wedding present almost 14 years ago. Time for a new one, I think. It will be an eventful week for me--throwing out and packing up. Hope to come out of the mess and say 'hello' every so often, if I can.