From among our things we may be found when we are gone
Did you know us as you thought you did?
The things we leave behind. They will be what we are judged by. Did they know us truly? Will they be shocked? Will they be touched? Or will they be uninspired and throw it all away without a thought.
We live our lives day to day. People interact with us and us with them. We say things. We do things. People remember some things and not others. When we die, a few words are spoken. Sometimes by only an officiant. Other times by a few family members or friends. Usually fond remembrances. Rarely the things where we made asses of ourselves.
At some point though, there is the reconciliation of dealing with our physical things. If we died this moment, what would we be leaving behind for someone to deal with? Do we have secrets that will be exposed? Depravities that we've kept hidden? Money that we didn't trust to a bank? A diary with all our deepest thoughts we dared never to share?
Are our things sentimental? Were they investments? Are they valuable or valueless? Will finding them bring a twinkle to your eye? A tear? A gasp of shock...or wonder?
Is it a collection of childhood memorabilia that makes sense to no one but us? Is it something from our children's childhood? Did we save things tracking the life of an old flame that left a love in us not quite fizzled?
Did we have books? A few books or a lot? What topics? Were they things you expected? Did you learn an interest that you didn't know we had?
All of these things left behind were an extension of who we were. What we valued. What interested us. What we held in high esteem. Maybe what we despised or wanted to change.
The rubble left behind by a life lost is more than just a mismatch of things. I wonder, did you ever truly know us? Did you find us amongst our things? Did the face we showed you day to day match what you found? Were we who you thought we were? Were we more? Or less?
About the Creator
Pam Reeder
Stifled wordsmith re-embracing my creativity. I like to write stories that tap into raw human emotions.
Author of "Bristow Spirits on Route 66", magazine articles, four books under a pen name, technical writing, stories for my grandkids.
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Comments (2)
very interesting articule. Sometimes I wonder if anybody really knows me> I don't have any children so when I die my treaured possession will most likely go to the dumpl But I will treasure them while I am here
Love this, especially that last paragraph. It's something we may never think about, yet so true.