Timeout for a Poem

When we were deciding what to get my mom for her birthday, both of my kids gave me many ideas.  I told them that when I was packing up to move, I noticed that their grandmother treasured their gifts so much that she never even used anything. Including a daily Jeopardy! calendar that was still in the packaging and the years is more than half way over! I told my kids that my mom had plenty of great things from them and so sending something that can not be bought in a store would be best. 

Both kids wrote my mom a poem for her birthday. When they each read them to me, I was pleasantly surprised. Both kids took their time and each poem was really personal. My mom will love these thoughtful pinches.

Since I have been experiencing so many different emotions and thoughts because of this move, my kids have inspired me to write a poem. Not a poem for my mom or for her birthday.  But this poem is more about why my mom and I keep things move after move after move. 

I’m sentimental but mostly I am filled with pride.

Looking around at things I’ve collected,

disbelief that these items came along for the ride.

Why for years did I hold on to some thing?

Was it to say that it’s been eighteen years

 and with every move a gold medal it will bring?

Completely unpacked - lots of gifts from family or a friend.  

Holding on to twelve year old reusable snack bags,

in hopes that childhood doesn’t come to an end.

Could have thrown everything away and started anew.

Sparing feelings, being easily contained, however

missing the chance to see how we grew.

The piles have been made: Donate, Repurpose and Trash.

Creating space for fresh memories with a purge 

and forgetting about the cash.

Moving is hard on the body, soul and mind.

I have held onto these items of past hoping

that life will stop and rewind.

So many lessons I have noted for the next move.

Just have to write them all down soon 

before I’m out of the groove.

Holding onto memories, letting go of stuff

I am hoping that with this awareness 

we are left with just enough. 

Reusable snack sacks. Inspired by some thoughtful pinches that my cousin Jay-Jay gave me when the kids were 2 and 1 years old, I bought a couple more snack sacks to add to the collection. I have had them for 12 years. Time to let them go. I can’t keep my kids young forever.

One of my favorite Linden Hills, MN neighbors was Jimmy Stallman. One day he came over with this Corona bucket. He bought it at a garage sale and he wanted me to have it. When he passed away from pancreatic cancer our neighborhood was never the same. He was the best. I won’t let go of this bucket. It came with us on the move to Denver.

Back to my mom’s birthday gift. My son couldn’t resist. He ended up buying my mom a necklace with his own money. It wasn’t from a store, it was from a woman who made it in Costa Rica. Pura Vida.

Pinches,

Barb