My Mother is 92 years old.
After a recent fall, she decided to move to a facility where she could better age in place.
Good for her. She now has more community, eats regular meals, and participates in activities.
The move meant leaving a two-bedroom condominium with a sunroom for a one-bedroom apartment.
The place in this story with a moral is in the selling and moving in which she was unable to participate. That's where me and my two sisters come in.
We worked together. Good for us. But it was a lot. It was hard work. And it took a long time.
Mom is a shopper which meant lots of clothes, shoes, jewelry, kitchen items, and décor. Over the years we regularly winnowed items from her closet as she lost weight and she gave away her decorative bracelets and necklaces, but the rest was left to us.
Mom decided what furniture would fit in the new apartment, the clothing she wanted to keep, and the items she would need for the kitchen. We sisters were left with furniture, clothing, memorabilia, and mountains of things no one in the family wanted or needed.
Her condominium sold quicker than expected and we made a plan. None of us live nearby. We executed the plan. We made it happen. There were movers, multiple trips to the donation center, and an emotional day of dividing belongings. We each got some mementos. And we are exhausted. And we know we will be doing this again when she dies.
The moral of the story for each of us was a vow to go home and start downsizing NOW. To not leave this same work for our children. I urge you to do the same.