April 21, 2008

• Cleaning for the soul

  I was doing a bit of some cleaning at my dad’s place the
  other week.  This time it was their old
  bedroom.  In today’s big houses, people would dismiss their bedroom as a small guest room or perhaps a home office.  There’s
  just room for two small beds, some book cases, a dresser, a couple of chairs
  and 1 closet.  With all that, there was just enough space to walk in and get to where you want.  My dad doesn’t sleep in
  this bedroom anymore.  He actually moved
  out at my mom’s insistence when the medical equipment in their started to keep
  him awake.  That seems like such a long
  time now.  Although my sister has done
  some cleaning, it’s still fairly intact with the exception of a lot of books,
  magazines and stuff on top of the beds.  Most
  of the old furniture is still there. 
  It’s nothing fancy and most of them are quite old. 

  The 2 piggy banks on top of the dresser caught my eye.  It’s an old man and an old woman sitting on
  their rocking chairs.  There’s an
  inscription there “Our Retirement Fund”.  I think she got these when she started to
  work.  She was probably in her 50’s at
  that time.  She would deposit loonies
  ($1) and twonies ($2).  There are layers
  of tape covering the hole at the bottom of the 2 piggy banks.  Over time, there have been many withdrawals –
  mostly to pay for bills.      

  A lot of my mom’s Chinese books are still there.  Some are still by her bedside table.  The chairs are still positioned the same
  way.   I still remember how she would stretch out
  there after a long day and read.  It was
  one of her simple pleasures.  Just
  outside the bedroom window was our neighbor’s birdfeeder.  She loved watching the jays, sparrows, robins
  and squirrels feeding on it.  The plants
  by the window are at my place now.  My
  dad didn’t really know how to take care of them.

  I try to focus on the task but there are so many things that
  trigger my memories.  I try to be careful
  with my dad’s papers.  I notice a large
  envelope from his lawyer.  It’s his
  will.  I hold the envelope for a while
  and placed it back down.  He’s told me
  what he wants already so there isn’t really anything in there that I don’t know
  about.   But I still didn’t want to open
  it.  After a while, I call it quits.  There’s a saying that cleaning can be
  cathartic.  I think there’s some truth in
  that.    

  • 11:57 PM
  • 15 Comments