14 November 2016

This is how you become a hoarder

We have been going through Mom's things,beginning with her thousands (literally) of paintings.  We  have given away a fair number, but are keeping many for ourselves.  At first, it was decided that all portraits shall be given to or kept by the portrait subject.  As her children, there were dozens upon dozens of portraits of us.  It seems I will have to turn one room of my house into a shrine to me.  We are now realizing that maybe we should trade a few of them around, and have portraits of each other, as well.

One of the odder things I brought home was my father's chest x-rays.  I have no idea why Mom kept those, and less of an idea why I kept them.  It just didn't seem right to toss them.  Ironically, I don't have many photos of my father, so now the single largest collection of pictures I have of him are these x-rays tracking the cancer that killed him.  There are so many of them I wonder if it really was smoking that brought on his cancer.  I'm surprised he didn't glow in the dark, or develop super powers.  I should put them into a family album, frame a few, hang them on the walls.

Lastly, pray for my brother.  He is still living in the house, surrounded by Mom's things. The rest of us got to go home and escape for a time.  But he is in her house, surrounded by her presence and therefore her absence, and it is hitting him hard for that.  I have tried to get him to come to my house for a few days, give him a little break, but he has turned me down.

1 comment:

Kathleen1031 said...

No matter the age, when Mom goes, it's as rough as it gets. My deepest sympathy to you all, and Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her.
Stick together. Laugh often. Keep productive. Be in the company of children in your family, you must keep going well for them. Remember her DNA is in there. Keep in mind you will, please God, see her again. God bless all of you.