Lesson from an estate sale

   This weekend, my siblings and I will be having an estate sale at the house that had been home for my parents for 49 years. We've been going through the stuff since February.   It's been a roller coaster of emotions as memories of my parents resurfaced. 
   If you watch the show "American Pickers", you'll have an idea of what we faced.  There's been the dismaying discovery of items that have decayed to the point of uselessness, 3 dumpsters full so far.  On the other hand, there have been some very cool surprises: documents that pertain to our parent's and grandparent's immigration from Holland in 1956, familiar pictures that have been rediscovered, and newspaper clippings that have introduced me to aspects of my parent's lives that I didn't know.
   Pop never threw anything away that could be used again.  And he picked up things that other people threw away that he felt could be used later.  ie: In the corner of the basement, hung an WWII uniform and the Honorable Discharge papers that had belonged to a neighbor.  I called his grand-niece and offered it back to the family.  It turns out that without the discharge papers, he had been ineligible to be recognized as a Veteran.  This was the first year that a flag was placed on his grave on Memorial day!    We have no idea why that uniform was in Pop's basement, but what we do know, is that now it's home.
   Mom was an avid reader and  a linguist.  She spoke fluent Dutch, French, German, and English and got by with Spanish and American Sign Language. The house is full of books, in all those languages.  There's even a Bible in Chinese and several books in  Hebrew.  Who knew?
   As I've worked at getting ready for this sale,  I've had time to think about end of my life.  What will be left when I leave this life?  Stuff? or will I leave a legacy in the lives that I've touched?

   Matthew 6:19-21 ¹⁹ “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Memorial Day: Remembering Emily

                                         Memorial Day: Remembering Emily,
                          heart warmer, joy bringer, memory maker, my daughter 
                 
                                           You rose into my life like a sunrise
                                   brightening my days with the light in your eyes

Seth & Emily at 1 week

What one loves in childhood
stays in the heart forever

Skydiving

your laughter brings sunshine into our home

Seth & Emily

Forever my brother, always my friend

on Vacation in Paducah

You are a unique and unrepeated miricle

Hiking at Garden of the Gods

When I count my blessings,
I count you twice

Emily adored her big brother

Families are like quilts
Lives pieced together
stitched with memories
bound with love

loved the water

cool in the pool

wearing my shirt, talking to Oma

Welcome to the land of pretending, where joy is never ending

Loved horse-back riding, she had no fear.

There's a little cowboy in all of us

Girl Scouts: Megan, Emily & Heidi

the best things in life aren't things, they're FRIENDS

At the Mother-Daughter Campout

You are the sparkle in my eyes
the twinkle in my toes
And the kiss on my heart

I surprised Emily when I went to pick up her up from summer camp.
I imagine this will be the look on her face when she greets me in heaven.

You fill a place in my heart 
that I didn't know was empty

signing/singing Christmas Carols at the mall
with her class from the School of the Hearing Impaired.

You are my merry at Christmas, and all year, too



Emily Anne Gipson
4-4-2091 - 4-9-2007

Life is not measures by the number of breaths we take
but by the moments
that take our breath
away

I've grown accustomed to his face.

   The last couple of posts have been heavy with memories, heavy in my heart.  I've tried to write the next one in the series, but can't just yet.  I'll get back to it later.

   There's nothing like absence that makes the heart grow fonder.  Ray was out of town for just over 24 hours, and returned last evening.  Even though I kept busy, I was lonely. I don't think I've been taking him for granted, but like this song from one of my favorite musicals, "My Fair Lady", says: I've grown accustomed to his looks, accustomed to his voice, accustomed to his face."

                                     "I've Grown Accustomed To His Face"

I've grown accustomed to his face,
He almost makes the day begin,
I've grown accustomed to the tune he whistles night and noon.
His smiles, his frowns, his ups, his downs

are second nature to me now, like breathing out and breathing in.

I was so really independent and content before we met,
Surely I could always be that way again and yet
I've grown accustomed to his looks,
Accustomed to his voice,
Accustomed to his face.
I've grown accustomed to his face,
He almost makes the day begin.
I've gotten used to hear him say good morning everyday.
His joys, his woes, his highs, his lows
Are second nature to me now, like breathing out, breathing in


  The hospital doesn't close down and women don't stop having babies just because it's a holiday, so we all work holidays (and their eves) on a rotation schedule. But, if census is low, there's a drawing to see who gets to stay home, on standby, until we're needed to come in.   This year, I'm scheduled for Memorial day so I'm supposed to work today and tomorrow.  But this morning, I got drawn for stand-by!  I'll be the first to call back, but until then, I'm gonna spend some time with my husband!

   Have a Happy Memorial day to you all.  Spend a little time in memories for those not with you, and then celebrate living!!!

Emily, Seth, Anne, Ray, Christina & Noah, Kelly

2006