When my Mum’s mother was 99 years old she broke her hip. Although she was expected to make a good recovery, her doctor said her days of living alone in her two story Toronto duplex were over. Mum said to her, if you want to move out west, I’ll take care of you.
I shake my head in awe when I remember how she embraced that enormous life change with a spirited sense of adventure. Not to mention that in the remaining three years of her life, she made at least dozen new friends.
But that was my grandma. Who in the 1920s, emigrated to Canada alone to meet up with her fiance (so scandalous at the time she made me promise to never tell anyone). Who, in the 1940s, after the depression and drought turned her farm into a dust pile, started over again in the city.
She brought only a few, small items with her out west. One is a plant stand I cherish. Another is this footstool. She used to sit with her legs stretched out, swollen ankles crossed and propped on up this thing.
Believe me, I have tried to give it a home but it clashes with my colour scheme. And when I put my feet up on it I actually feel less comfortable.
The footstool was sold on marketplace for $30. Someone jumped on it and offered to send me an etransfer immediately to secure the sale. I said sure, gave them my email address and then checked on ebay. There were half a dozen similar items selling for at least $100 if not more. Ooops.
2 responses to “Three times a charm”
I just came across your blog as I have been giving so much of my beautiful clothes as a cleansing process having lost my young daughter rot eh Spirit World du to drug poisoning.
Your grandma looks so beautiful and she sounds like a remarkable women like so many of our Elders.
I like that you posted her little stool for a reasonable price instead of on eBay at more than double. As long as it was going to somebody who would appreciate and care for it. I find many people on these online sites ask far to much money and I always wonder why people don’t do more donations.
I could have made money over the years but find a bright and warm knowing that these things I no longer need to carry are going to people who are in need or/and have so little income and little certainty they can’t afford even healthy food for their family.
Thank you for sharing and I hope we continue to encourage people to share more of our Earth mother’s resources so we are not harming her and, re-directing child labour with no regulations from a place of “client and buyer” to “a person and wholistic, sustainable world views and practices”.
All my Relations
Souie
Souie, I am so so sorry for your loss…! <3
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You’re right about our mother earth and thank you for evoking her here!
And about reusing–it’s the best of the “three Rs” for so many reasons! 🙂
Thank you for writing,
d. precious