The Material Possessions

After a long discussion with our pastor, some family members, each other, and most importantly; God, Katie and I have decided to begin the process of clearing some of Gracie's material possessions. That's what they are; material possessions. When I look at her stuffed animals, I can see her expression holding one of them. But, that animal just triggers the memory; it's not the memory. I hold those memories in my mind. I've tried to tell myself that this past week. I knew the day was coming. Everyone told us to wait at least a year to remove her belongings. Well, it's been 16 months. It's been well over a year, and it's still difficult. I personally wouldn't put a timeline on such a thing, but we listened and followed what they told us. Now, we're in the middle of deciding what to keep forever and what should be taken to charity. The thought of some other child taking pleasure in what Gracie loved on this Earth makes me smile. It's her being passed on down here, and I love that idea. Some things we are just keeping. Her piggy bank, some of her clothes, her favorite stuffed animal. Other items, we are going to take to the children's hospital that took such good care of Gracie, as well as some other charities around our area. Katie and I thought that if we were ever fortunate to adopt a little girl, we would have Gracie's items for the little girl to use. After praying about it, we decided that all of her things are material. Love given away is the best form of love in this case. Perhaps one day, I'll see a little girl holding the hand of the Mickey Mouse that we bought Gracie in Disney the first time we went down there with both of them. I'll look at that stuffed mouse and smile, letting it bring back a memory, and knowing that it's creating a new one with someone else. If you've wondered my absence over the past few days, this is it. It's not easy to say goodbye to four years of collected life, but I think it's the right time to do it. God bless.