Memories

Mr E. wants to reorganise the house. A huge part of this will be dealing with toys. Neither child will willing give up any toys that they have outgrown, no matter that they never play with them. I'll have to do it when they aren't in the house. Unfortunately, I'm struggling with memories. When I look at some of the things, I remember that my Mum gave them this or that. I struggle with packing those up and end up wallowing on memories - good, bad and ugly.

I wonder if I take those things away from the children, will they forget about her? She was a good Grandmother and I want them to remember that. Girl Child barely remembers her at all as it is. She was three and a half when Mum died.

I wonder if this is something that other people think about? Or is it just because we never got a chance to choose things of hers for the children? Or me for that matter either.

We have recently been to visit my extended family as we do most school holidays. Every time we leave my grandmothers house she gives (or tries to give) us something. She is attempting to give stuff away because she feels it will be easier on everyone after she is dead. I'm sure it makes it make her feel better but to me, its kind of being slapped in the face by her mortality. This time around, I was given a blanket that my mother crocheted before I was born. It's nice, bright and I am glad I have it.

In our case, we never had to clean out a house. In some ways I'm grateful but the things that we got from her house were the things she wanted us to get (and in a very short space of time) rather than being able to consider which things that had meaning for us.

So, how do I keep the memory of their grandmother alive without getting sentimental over every little thing? If your grandparents died when you were young, do you have any items of these that are precious to you?