Packing

I woke up in Stuart, FL this morning. This is not a pleasure trip--my father lived here and this is my second visit since his death in April. In April, I came down with my mother and brother and we made the cremation arrangements, talked to his doctor, filed his will and hired an attorney to handle the estate. Since then, I've been officially appointed executor and will continue the process.

I started packing for this trip about a week ago after I did laundry. I tend to overpack but have gotten better at it over the years. That is, I overpack less. I always bring aspirin or Alleve, lozenges and Pepto Bismol tablets. If I don't feel well, I want to take care of it without running out to a drugstore. I like to bring extra underwear and blouses to avoid doing laundry. I do color coordinate my wardrobe and I don't carry a lot of shoes.

As I packed at home, I thought about the packing that I would be doing down here for Dad--packing up his life--so to speak. On our previous trip, we packed up clothes, books, CD's, DVD's, glassware, and packaged foods just in time for a food drive.

On this trip, I'll be packing up kitchen stuff and possibly making arrangements to get rid of furniture. I'll also be going through photographs and mementos. This is the hard part. It's relatively easy for me to pack up photographs and small items, but there is the emotional component. Do I dishonor my father by tossing things that he thought were important enough to keep?

And as a practical matter, what will I do with all the stuff? As I try to downsize and simplify my own possessions, should I take on someone else's? Will I just be passing on the burden to the person who will be packing up my life when my time comes?

Lots of questions. I'll try to come up with my answers.