I sold a printer cart on Craigslist yesterday, but no nibbles on the crib yet.
Selling the crib brings up all sorts of feelings even though the crib is nothing special.
It’s about my role in the family as materfamilias.The crib represents my ability to host family gatherings, guests from out of town, grandbabies and adult kids who need a few months to regroup.
All three of my kids have returned home for a few months (post college) in their early 20s to regroup before launching into the next thing. My youngest has been here since October and will leave (swine flu permitting) for world travels in late May. In each case it’s been a privilege to get to know the former child as a young adult.
My daughter was looking forward to sending the little ones up for a week in the summer starting next year, but if I’m living in a shoebox it may be a challenge.
Christmas will be very different too. One of our long-standing traditions is gathering after the little ones are asleep to wrap presents and stuff stockings together. We sit on the floor, everyone facing a different corner so no one can peek at the gift being wrapped– laughing, drinking, passing scissors and tape, drinking, laughing. And in the morning all waking up way too early to be ready when the little ones come down…
Have to let that one go until someone in the next generation gets a bigger house themselves…
My resistance to this move is in full flower today.
Getting to Less: Downsize! 