Family moves and mysteries

Since 2015, James and I have moved my Mom 4 times around 3 different states. In all those moves I never reviewed everything she packed along the way. I focused on cleaning out one place and getting her settled as much as possible into the new place. This past weekend the move was different. I ended up taking a few hours to really review what was being packed and ensure everything received the proper care it needed.

Since my Mom's Alzheimer's diagnosis in May we have been making plans to maximize Mom's memories now and keep her active. So, we moved her in with us this past weekend. I realized though that over the last year she has been filing and refiling a lot of papers, so I needed to understand what those were and how I should pack the documents. A fair amount of the papers (it turns out) were junk mail, which is an example of the cognitive decline that has started to occur.

I also found a plethora of handwritten documents that Mom had written over decades. She has always gone through journaling seasons of life and unbeknownst to me she has held on to them. I unknowingly moved these books, notes, or 'Dear God' post-it notes 4 times! Each journaling season tends to correspond with shifts in her life- college, pregnancy, babies, entrepreneurship, trips, empty nest, grandkids, divorce, etc. The notes are beautiful and eye-opening. I also feel like the penmanship is prettier, people used to care more about what their handwriting looked like because people would actually read it. She also kept letters from my Grandparents that she would exchange with them after she had moved out of the house. Her family, although geographically spread out was emotionally close. I even found a letter my Grandpa had written to my Mom on her 50th birthday. I have to remind her of upcoming birthdays. Sending cards will be one of our key activities now that she is living with us.

I'm still processing the emotions behind the fact that I will never get a letter from my Mom on my 50th birthday, if she lives that long. I've not really had time to mourn losing the Mom who was cognitively sound most of my life because I've spent the last few years caring for a Mom who was in the early stages of Alzheimer's.

What are you experiencing? Is there a keepsake(s) you've held on to for a long time that someone would be surprised about?