PRICELESS TREASURES

The last few weeks have been extremely busy for our family.  We have been preparing for an estate sale of the contents of my husband's mother's home.  "Mamaw" was 95 when she went to be with the Lord last December and her house was FULL of 95 years worth of accumulated "treasures".

Mamaw was a keeper, in more ways than one.  She found it very difficult to part with things.  Having grown up during the Depression era, she knew the value of finding uses for everything, even if it appeared old and worn, you might could use it for SOMETHING later on ( a trait her son - my husband - inherited from her).  She also was very sentimental...a trait that I totally relate to...which meant she found it hard to let go of anything given to her by a child, grandchild, friend or acquaintance. 

So for days we have priced her "treasures"....ceramic angels of every shape and size; boxes of sewing patterns and fabric and notions; boxes of craft supplies from plastic apples to pipe cleaners to doll parts; lots and lots of clothes; tablecloths, brand new kitchen towels, and tons of Christmas decorations, cookware, pots and pans....just to name a few. 

We would be going along fine then suddenly we would run across some little object that would evoke a memory of the woman we loved so much.  Her dented aluminum funnel that she used canning literally hundreds of jars of her delicious pickles, preserves and chili sauce brought tears to our eyes, the pain of our loss still fresh after almost a year.  You could not look at that funnel without seeing Mamaw standing there in her worn apron stirring a pot on the stove.  That was her favorite place in the world. 

Going through her cabinets we found some serving pieces that she had made herself during her pottery phase back in the late 70's....complete with the orange and yellow mushrooms that were so popular back then.  Beautifully crafted and glazed, you would not have known it was handmade had you not seen her initials on the bottom of the dish and the date.  What a treasure for us to have.  We also have the ceramic CHRISTmas tree that she made us during that same phase.... a gift I have treasured so much through the years and even more so, now that she is gone.  I will never display it without thinking of her and how much she meant to our family.  That tree is family heirloom and is priceless to me.

Yes, her house was full of lots of things and as the customers filed through her house yesterday, filling their bags with her worldly goods, I could not help but think to myself  "You are buying all of her worldly goods, none of which was that valuable in monetary terms, but we, her family, got the best part of all.  We got her for 95 years and her influence and love and gentleness cannot be bought or sold.  When the house is empty of all her worldly possessions, and the house is finally sold, we will each have a few of her earthly treasures to keep and cherish, but she will always be a part of us and THAT is the greatest treasure of all!!"