Renewal

After sorting through my mother's things as we prepare her house for the real estate market, my sisters and brothers and I have practiced the 3 R's of going green: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. We have looked at things accumulated through 60+ years of moving around the country in academic life and living in Mexico, several houses and many apartments ago. We are reducing the amount through estate auctions, giving away to us the children for reuse, donating to Salvation Army, and finally hauling to the recycling place. As we approach the last week of elimination of things, I have encountered another "R" that should be attached to this green process and that is Renewal. The freeing of things that are from memories not all so wonderful (there were 3 marriages, death and divorce) is another process that has brought a renewal of spirit to me. To see my mother, who these things belong to, let go and willingly is amazing. Yes it is a complete process: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Renewal.