Dealing with Loss and Damage While Organizing
Grace’s Dad passed away two years ago.
As the family historian, she found herself in charge of organizing and distributing all of his stuff.
She brought 20 large boxes back to her house to sort, organize and manage. Together, we’ve been slowly going through his possessions…
…Sending photos to her siblings. Having old home movies digitized. Sending yearbooks from 1941 back to his alma mater. Storing letters from his years of service in WWII. Finding new homes for the most important stuff he kept during his 90+ years.
It’s a big task to go through someone’s possessions and try to honor their life through their stuff.
It can be so fun to see life through their eyes and explore what it was like 50 years ago. But it can also be exhausting, overwhelming, and physically painful.
Last week, we got together to keep working on her dad’s stuff. We grabbed one of his big memory boxes and opened it up. The smell of mold hit us in the face.
Somehow, water had gotten into the plastic box and made everything wet and moldy. 90% of what was in the box had been destroyed by the mold.
The box was made of plastic and there was no visible water anywhere near it. I still have no idea how water could have gotten into this sealed plastic box.
Grace was heartbroken. Even though she didn’t do anything to cause the damage, she felt like she was letting her dad down. It felt like a whole chapter of his life had been destroyed.
It can be so painful when we find items that have been damaged or destroyed while in storage.
When we come across these items while we’re organizing, it feels so hard. We beat ourselves up and say that we should have gotten to them sooner. Or that it’s all our fault.
It’s hard not to feel grief and pain when valuables get ruined…especially when they belong to loved ones who are no longer with us.
Sadly, this happens all the time. I’ve never worked with someone who didn’t have something get damaged while in storage.
It’s heartbreaking. But sometimes it happens.
If you’ve ever had something break or get damaged while being stored, please know you’re not alone.
This is your sign to forgive yourself. You’re doing the best you can.
In the end, the most important thing is the time we spend with those we love. The physical objects are simply a reminder of those moments.
Your memories and positive experiences can’t be taken away by mold, water, or crushed boxes.
Need a little extra support with this? Comment below and let me know what you’ve found damaged during your organizing projects.
Thinking of you and sending lots of positive energy as you navigate the complex road of getting organized.
