Mom's estate seems to be pretty straight forward. The devil, though, is in the details.
Junk drawers, boxes that were sealed more than three years ago, and plastic tubs of Christmas trimmings... all waiting to be searched and evaluated.
It takes time. Some boxes are quicker than others. The Christmas boxes went pretty fast - it always amazed me that mom kept a Christmas candle I bought her when I was either in Kindergarten or first grade. Now, assuming the rest of the household approves, it will be part of our annual Christmas.
Looking through boxes is similar to an archeological dig. I knew Dad had used a lot of Parker pens and mechanical pencils but wasn't coming across them in the first day of cleaning and sorting. On day two, in a box labeled "closet," there they were! Pocket knives and slide rules were inside... yay!
Yet, the process of unpacking, repacking, sorting, and evaluating is a slow motion highlight reel of their life and intersections with your own.
Dad died in 2012. Mom last month. There are photos of relatives I never met or barely knew. Small items with no meaning for others, but for my sister and I meaningful mirrors of younger days.
There is more work to do, but making progress feels productive. And with all the mini-history lessons - lots of small trips back in time along the way.
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