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Home  Articles Family Leave Mama
s Junk Alone
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Leave Mama
s Junk Alone |
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Written by Barbara Morris R.Ph.
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A young friend (about age 30) and I (age 75) were talking about all the
junk
we collect over time. The conversation turned to how much
junk
her mother had, and I said I understood because by the time you reach my age, even if you are not a chr....
Leave Mama
s Junk Alone
by: Barbara Morris R.Ph.
A young friend (about age 30) and I (age 75) were talking about all the
junk
we collect over time. The conversation turned to how much
junk
her mother had, and I said I understood because by the time you reach my age, even if you are not a chronic pack rat,
junk
accumulates. My lame excuse for saving things is that I work full time and deciding what to get rid of is not a priority. Another justification is that I grew up during the Great Depression, always wanting
things
of my own -- and now I
ve got them. Get rid of them? You
re kidding!
The conversation with my young friend shifted to her brother still living at home. He needed more space in the garage for his car, and Mama
s
junk
was taking up more space than he deemed necessary, so he threw some of it out when Mama was not at home.
She
ll never miss it,
he rationalized.
It appears that more than a few adult children feel the same way. On several occasions my Boomer-age daughter, who doesn
t live with or near me, and should not be bothered by my junk, has suggested,
Why don
t you get rid of all this stuff.
What should it matter to adult children, living in their own home with junk of their own, how much stuff you collect? After you are gone, they can back up a garbage truck to the garage, and get rid of it. On the other hand, if they are smart, they will hold on to the treasures, or have a garage sale. Some of the stuff my generation has been saving from
day one
now has antique status and may have value, perhaps not to unappreciative children, but to savvy collectors.
Let me explain something to adult children about old people, i.e., their parents: If retired, there probably are no more long or even short term goals, no more exciting dreams or aspirations -- nothing to strive for. Life is lived as a pastime -- golf, gardening, travel, shopping.
Remember when
is an integral part of a typical retiree
s conversation. And that
s okay.
Those scraps of material Mama has been saving that you think she doesn
t need and won
t miss are tangible evidence of a happy time that can be revisited by touching or seeing those pieces of cloth. It gives her a warm and fuzzy feeling when emotional warmth may be in short supply.
Until there is a good reason to do otherwise, leave Mama alone with all her junk. It
s not yours to dispose of until she dies or asks you to get rid of it. You would not be happy if she came into your home while you were away and threw out what she considered
junk.” After all, you are at an age when you
ve already collected a few useless trinkets that have great meaning to you but would be rated
junk
by others.
What goes around comes around. Respect rights of others, especially your parents. Your young children will learn from your good example and if you are lucky, they will not throw out your precious
junk
behind your back when you are old.
About The Author
Barbara Morris, R.Ph. is a practicing pharmacist and expert on anti-aging strategies. She is the author of Put Old on Hold. Visit her website http://PutOldonHold.com.
This article was posted on October 08, 2004
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