I stopped at an estate sale this afternoon. I know the lady whose estate is being liquidated and I know her daughter who is conducting the sale. They both used to live in my neighborhood until the mother could no longer live alone. She now lives in a retirement village where everything is provided and she has need for few possessions other than her clothing and personal items.
The sale was well organized and her belongings were beautifully arranged and displayed. As I looked over the accumulations of seventy-plus adult years,
I was struck at what I was seeing. This woman's life, as an independent person, was laid out in front of me in every room. I realized that this could be me some day.....and probably should be. Whether I will have moved to a different facility or will have taken leave of this earth, my belongings may be inventoried, itemized, and have little white tags on everything. $2, $3, $10, $15, and higher, if my 'estate' is lucky. A lifetime reduced to sales tags.
Her jewelry was lovely as were her hats. I can remember seeing her at neighborhood lunches, and always, a hat on her head, along with a fashionable amount of jewelry. She is a lady and always dressed as one. I can imagine that she will still be dressing 'to the nines' in her new surroundings.
I made two purchases at her sale, one of which is an artfully crocheted table covering that I am told was made by her mother. The design and color patterns are very distinctive. I told her daughter I would give her grandmother's table covering a good home and she smiled one of the few smiles I saw from her at the sale. Seeing your mother's belongings tagged and displayed like merchandise would be very stressful.
Perhaps I should start divesting of my trinkets, junque, vintage items, and memorabilia before someone has to conduct an estate sale for me. My 'stuff' will be labeled with little white tags that say: 5-cents, 10-cents, 15-cents, 20-cents, etc.
My final contribution to the world would be a mathematical one.....how fitting.
Counting by fives.
Ancora imparo
