Friday, January 7, 2011

Coming Up for Air

For four days now, I have been buried in paperwork. As I have sorted through four boxes of memories, and other paperwork, I have made a few discoveries... some of them not really new.

1. I keep too much!! I have letters from many years ago from people I don't even remember!

2. I have a poor memory. I cannot remember one couple who sent us a letter and then asked to get together for coffee. I have NO idea who they are! I started rereading my journals from when the girls were little... and there are stories I have told for years that were incorrect.

3. We used to communicate better in the days before email. I have, (no, make that HAD,) letters from brothers and sisters that I NEVER communicate with anymore because letter-writing is old, and they don't email. I'm amazed at how many letters we used to get from family and friends alike.

4. I'm glad I was a 'keeper' for some things. I found the birth announcements for our girls, some artwork from my school years (I had forgotten that I ever thought I had any artistic talent at all), even some of the wedding invitations from my older brothers and sisters! I didn't know I still had those. I'm sure I have most of the cards that Einar & I ever sent to each other. I know. I'll have to cull some more... later.

5. I forgot how serious Kirsten always was... and how funny Rachel was. Somehow that changed a bit over the years.

6. I'll never be finished sorting through memories. Going through four boxes took four days, and that didn't even include a glance at every paper... I threw away most correspondance except that from Mom & Dad and our girls, and those I still want to read before discarding.

7. Mostly, I had the opportunity to remember many of the special people in our past and in our present, who I know I have taken for granted far too much. Wow! We sure have been blessed!

No comments: