And the move goes on… A Walk Down Memory Lane

As I wrote in last week’s Bev’s Corner, we moved to Texas this past week and back into a four bedroom house after nine  years of living in a retirement community.

Meanwhile, we had put the accumulation of what is now 33 years of our marriage and and 59 years of my parents’ marriage  into storage. Not furniture. Rather, pictures, dishes, children’s artwork, and of course books and files, moved into storage, where it all sat until Thursday of this past week when we loaded it into the back of a moving truck and brought it to Texas.

Once we arrived, everything from that storage unit went into our garage unless it said ‘kitchen’ or ‘livingroom’ and yesterday the fun began.

As Alan and I opened box after box of wedding china, photo albums going back 65+ years, Samantha’s pottery from her childhood (often gifted to her daddy), and random photos of Samantha and all of her grandparents, etc.) I realized what all of that ‘stuff’ actually meant to me…

It is like Chanukah  combined with a walk down memory lane to take out so many beautiful items, many of which we packed away nine years ago. Treasures of a life time.

I never thought we would own a big home again. After all, who does that in their 60’s?

The joy of recovery is there in a big or little home. As my grandfather taught me, God is wherever we are, and when we call on Him and invite him into our home. He makes it His dwelling place.

This reunion with all of our old stuff gave me gratitude for the opportunity to re-experience each memory of gifts given and also brought up some of the painful memories of those years.

It also brought up pain for those who have lost their treasures and not had them recovered…and pain for the families who may still have their physical treasures, but don’t have the recovery to enjoy it…

My prayer, as we settle into our new home, is that every family be restored spiritually, physically, and materially, and that the practice of BALMing helps us all to grow in peace and gratitude for the large and small blessings both on the journey and at our destinations, wherever they may be.

Love to all,

Bev