The Accumulation of Junk

My California family arrived to help me clear out some of my "stuff."  We planned a large garage sale and an ad was placed in a local paper. Tools, furniture, toys, pots/pans, dishes, books, shoes, frames, baskets, bicycle, lawn chairs, medical items and jewelry would be placed in my driveway to see what "treasures" people could find. Before my family arrived, I had already piled some of things I was willing to sell. When they arrived, a few days were devoted to bringing up items from the basement and clearing out the garage. My daughter commented, "Mom, you have everybody's stuff in this garage." As I looked, I had to agree. I had things belonging to my Mother, my Father, my aunt, my brother, two friends, and my son. Some of the things buried in boxes, I had never seen. Was it my memory or had I really never seen them?

My son-in-law informed me that the goal of a garage sale is to get rid of stuff and if things do not sell, never bring them back into the house. Just take them to a Salvation Army, Goodwill, or ARC and be rid of the items. I thought back to other garage sales and remember repacking things and sticking them back into the garage and thought, I like the way my son-in-law thinks!

For three days we have dusted, carried, priced, washed, and arranged many items that will be sold at the garage sale. Today I sold some antique Irish linen napkins and doilies for $4.00. Of course, I always feel as if I should have gotten more money, but I have to keep reminding myself that the object of the garage sale is to get rid of things, not to
make money! A hard concept to accept!

Conversation as we prepare for the sale: Toss or keep? Trash it. It might sell. Put it on the $1.00 table. It's worth more. Someone might buy it. What do you think? And on and on the conversation continues as we set things out on tables.

To some it means nothing. 

To some it has no value. 

To some it can be tossed without regret. 

It does no good to fret. 

It's good to see it go, 

giving feelings of high and low. 

A memory is ripped from the heart,

it's hard to see your things depart. 

Is a garage sale a good endeavor? 

Part of my life will be gone forever. 

Regardless, keepsake or junk, gone is all my stuff. 

Sometimes easy and sometimes rough.

When everything is gone from my garage sale, 

that will conclude this woeful tale!
E. Moscoso
July 24, 2014