Say Goodbye

I brace myself for the inevitable.

"You can't get rid of that!!!" she says incredulously.

This is the beginning of our decluttering project. Originally she had readily agreed to my advice. That was yesterday.

Today, seeing the item moving closer to the front door panic set in and with renewed vigor she fought for her relative's rights!

I listen on resigned to the inevitable. This will happen with each 'relative'.

How is it that an ironing board that had silently been leaning in the kitchen corner, ignored and aging from shiny to dull all of a sudden a prized possession?

"When I was healthy I used it daily!! I used it for everything. I even ironed your underwear!!"

She's trying to sway me by this. Soften me up.

I wonder why she's fighting so hard for it. Then it came to me. She's acting like I'm evicting family. In her eyes this item is that important.

Maybe it's because for her it stands for a time when she was younger and independent. An item overlooked by me all these years as it stood quietly in its corner was once indispensable for my mother.

I think how best to approach this.

"It's because you ironed my underwear that I'm now willing to help you with decluttering the house!"

She looks at me for any hint of a smile and rolls her eyes. Ignoring my humour she takes a sip of her latte.

Her silent agreement.

I subtly look around for other 'relatives' to evict...

Photo by Hadinet Tekie