Flash back Tuesday, to a best of Earnie segment from her birthday two years ago.  Pretty much sums up how I feel this week.

It’s been exhausting just going through her bedroom, bathroom and closet.  I can’t imagine how overwhelming it must be for children having to go through an entire house.  My advise to those of you out there with older parents is this:

• Ask questions about the things in their house that are important to them.  Like where did this come from?  Why is it important to you?  There were many times over the last week that I wished I had known the story on some of Earnie’s pretty things.  Just these little bits of information may help sustain you in the days when you are missing them a lot.  
• If your parent is up for it, ask them if you can help them go around and mark or make a list of who they would like to have their things go to.  Earnie was good at this.  Not only will it have meaning to the recipient that Earnie picked it just for them, but it helped me in knowing what to do with it.  Just today I was looking at a figurine in her cabinet, turned it over and she had written my brother’s name “Jim” on the bottom.  I put it aside in a box of things I am preparing for his son, my nephew Bryan.
• Encourage, a little at a time, for your parent to give their things to people now while they can tell the person the story behind the item and how important that person is to them.

Some people may think this is a morbid topic and that it makes the person feel like you’re ready for them to pack it up for heaven.  Quite the contrary, they are sharing the gift of the present.  They are helping make things easy for you while leaving a treasure for someone they care about.

One of my favorite quotes by Eleanor Roosevelt sums it up best, “Yesterday is History, Tomorrow a Mystery, Today is a Gift, that is why it’s called the Present.”

My Mother Dear.  Enjoy.