A Story
When the Festivals Covered Tears
After Dad passed away, Mom's loneliness drove her to festivals: musical, cultural, gardening, fireworks. Any kind would do. She'd return with souvenirs, food containers, posters. Her apartment began to fill with festival bling.
As her apartment grew messier and more crowded, she stopped having visitors. When I suggested decluttering, she got angry. Her collecting escalated to hoarding. Her living space became dirty and unsafe.
When Mom died, I ruthlessly purged her possessions. I scrubbed every room spotless and tastefully arranged the pieces of furniture I had kept. I put up a few colourful festival posters as a tribute to her festival visiting days.
When visitors came over, they exclaimed," Her apartment is beautiful. The festival posters reflect her vibrant life."
I kept my comments to myself. They didn't need to know Mom had lived in squalor.
A beautiful view on a warm October day. The fall has been very dry but it is hard to complain when the sky is so blue, and the trees are turning colour. Soon I'll be planting some daffodils in a blank slate of a garden. I'll be happy to see their cheerful yellow blooms next spring.
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