When I was asked to come help with my grandpas estate sale I was both excited and sad. Ever since I was little I loved exploring in there house and finding treasures or old pictures or something new I hadn't seen before. It was a magical place where i felt safe and loved and I cherished their treasures and was always very careful if they let me play with something or look through their souvenirs from traveling the world. I decided it would be best to take the trip alone to be the most helpful.
My parents and moms siblings had been working for weeks to organize and get ready for this sale. The shop was a huge project and I took these pictures to show to Chad to see if there was anything he wanted but now looking back I'm so glad I have pictures of grandpas personal treasures.
To you, they may be old rusty tools....to me they are the tools we helped him fix his 4 wheeler with or watched him shape and sand a piece of wood into a fun toy or top. Or who could use these tools to fix anything. He was a handy man.
My grandmas treasures were different. She loved holidays and had many decorations for each holiday. There were lacy things, glass things, souvenirs, trinkets, jewelry and doilies. Many were hand made or gifted and stored carefully away in the perfect package or container for keeping.
It was strange to see tables full of their things marked for a buck or two on tables that used to be set up for thanksgiving or christmas feasts with as many people packed around them as we could get. Instead of the smell of spaghetti sauce in the air, it smelled dusty and old.
The yard was no exception to the memories that we once had there. The play house was hauled off by someone who had plans to fix it up. The perfectly green grass that we spent hours picking worms on was trodden down by thrifters and yard salers. I had a few quiet moments to rest and decided to take my nap out on the swing in the middle of the yard below the for sale sign. When they bought that swing I spent hours on it. I thought it was so cool and ever since then I have wanted a swing in my back yard. It was warm for October and it was quiet. Every now and then a breeze would come along and ever so slightly give me a push. I felt their presence and I didn't want to move from that warm happy spot.
The time for the sale came. People pulled trailers, trucks and golf carts into their yard and loaded them quickly with their treasures. I'm a yard saler and can appreciate a good deal, but some things were hard to let go for a dollar when they had so many memories attached to them. I can only imagine how my mom and aunts and uncle felt.
The day of the sale was cold. A few of the grandkids stopped by to help and visit the house for a last time and reminisce a little. All in all, it went really well and alot of things sold. I felt very honored to be able to help with one of these last services for my grandpa.
I like to think that they were smiling down on us and that they were pleased with our work. I got a moment to go out and put some fall decorations on their graves with my aunts. It was a nice experience and I am so happy my aunt takes such good care of their graves.
Good bye for now grandma and grandpa. I'm glad to have a few trinkets and treasures to remember you by, but I will never forget your smile or how you made me feel when I was around you. I love you so very much and look forward to a day to be reunited with you.
