SORTING

My winter project is clearing the clutter out of my house.  I spent last weekend going through a full- to-bursting closet, determined to reduce its contents by half.  It was harder than I'd expected.  What did I find?       1 box of very old Halloween masks     1 plastic container holding my childhood doll collection1 box of napkin holders     1 large box of memorabilia saved by my father (I guess there must be a touch of "packrat" in my genetic structure.)        1 box of Christmas ornaments from my parents' tree

Some things were easy to throw away.  Others . . . not so much, especially the ornaments.  Both my mother and father loved to keep bird feeders in the yard.  They were enthusiastic bird watchers.  And, over the years, my mother collected ornaments related to birds.  This is one of them.  I have saved them all.  Someday, I tell myself, I will buy one of those tiny trees and decorate it with these ornaments. But, I don't.  That's not really why I keep them.  I just need to know they are there, as if the memories attached to them will disappear if I give them away.  I know that won't happen.  But, I also know they won't have the same meaning to someone else and, for that reason, it feels disrespectful to let them go.  Oh, the complications of memory and longing.  It's so hard to be rational when it comes to remembrance.  But, sometimes being a tad irrational is okay.  Isn't it?