Wednesday 18 April 2012

Annal 152: Tale from the Boxes

For a single woman still attending school I have a whole lot of crap.

People have told me this (okay, my father has told me this every time he has to help me move), but I didn't really realize it until I started packing this time around.  I think I have had to purge about six boxes worth of things... at least.

Anyway, I am taking a break from packing because I am hoping that by writing this post I will get some clarity into my head.

My sister left today to visit her boyfriend's family and to see our family and she will be gone for a few days.  Now, I don't mind being alone; in fact, I relish solitude.  But today is a bit of a rough day.  I went for coffee with a friend this afternoon and had to say good-bye.  While I will still see her over the summer, it was hard to know that our weekly movie nights are done, or our random photo shoots.  I had lunch on Monday with other friends and had to say a few more good-byes.

A few posts ago I mentioned how I felt like God was closing a chapter in my life and beginning a new one.  I talked about the excitement I was feeling over it.  Today I think I am in mourning.

Purging boxes means that I have to go through everything in them and decide what to keep.  Some, like the pin my grade six French teacher gave me when I left the Arctic, were easy to throw away.  Others were easy but caused a lot of pain.  I found birthday cards from people that stirred up so many memories.  I remembered past church involvement, how during that time I received cards signed with "Love."  Which made me think of the pain and sorrow that accompanied leaving that church.  I found pictures students had drawn for me over the last seven years while I was working in schools.  I even found the amauti that my parents had had made for me when we were living in the North (this is a parka with a large hood.  Women would keep their babies in the hood because it would keep them warmer.  Mine was a five year old version that I could carry my dolls around in).

I have cried so many times today it isn't funny. 

I finished packing my room and moved into the kitchen.  As I started putting mixing bowls, tea towels, and wine glasses into boxes I was reminded of the instances behind each of their arrival in my possession.  Some were gifts when I had first moved out on my own.  Some were garage sale purchases with friends that I had once been incredibly close with and who I now have very little contact.  Before I knew it was I sitting on my kitchen floor and the tears were flowing again.

Trust me, I know this sounds incredibly pathetic.  In fact, I know it is pathetic.

I feel like a door is being shut.  I don't know what door that is, and maybe that is why I feel as if I am mourning.  Don't get me wrong, I'm still incredibly excited for whatever new adventure God has in store for me.  But I also feel like some part of my life is coming to an end.  And that is sad.

And so I shall pack some more boxes, cry some more tears, and smile at a few more memories.  I will push through this.  I will try to keep myself occupied (my home has truly never felt more empty and quiet than it does right now). 

But above all I will try to trust and hope that God has this whole adventure thing worked out.  He hasn't left me yet, and I know He isn't going to leave me.

Such is the life of a Christian single.

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