Mama's Cafe

• Oct. 5, 2006 - Reflections

Autumn is my favorite season-I get out my leaf garlands, pumpkins, apples and harvest items and decorate my house.  Every year, I try to get one new item to add to my fall supplies-probably my only "collection."  As a military wife, I try to stay somewhat streamlined in regard to too much "stuff", but my love of garage sales does compete with this effort.  I try to be mindful that we will move again and will have to take all of the stuff with us-unless we are sent somewhere where we are only allowed the minimum.  In either case, less is usually better and easier.  I know it is easier on my dh, since an abundance of stuff stresses him  a bit.  Years ago while taking it easy during my first pregnancy, I read some books written by a Swedish author about her parents who were a pastor and his wife.  The author reflects on the time following the father's when she comes across her mother burning the letters her husband had written to his wife throughout the years.  The author (daughter) said to her mother that, perhaps, she would have liked to have kept those letters as mementos.  To this, the mother replied she wanted to leave nothing behind when the Lord took her home that would become a burden-emotional or material-for her children.  She tried to live her life in a streamlined manner-not accumulating too much so that her children would only have good memories to cherish and not have to agonize over what to keep and what to give up when that time came.  What a heavenly minded perspective-to live life here as a visitor, not a permanent resident!  I think of the grandfather of a friend who, when he died, left a house and shed so filled with accumulated stuff that it took many, many garage sales, private ads, and junk dealers to get rid of all of it.  His children and grandchildren had to work on this problem for over a year, sorting the "treasures" from the junk.  It wearied his family and burdened them for months following his -time they would have preferred to have spent grieving and remembering him fondly.  I pray that I can learn to live like the Swedish wife and mother and live a life unencumbered by needless litter so that I can go home to the Father in His time without leaving loved ones burdened with the flotsam and jetsam of my life.  The name of the author of the books I mentioned is TF Bjorn-she wrote a trilogy: Papa's Wife, Papa's Daughter and Mama's Way.  (disclaimer: it has been years since I first read these books-I don't think there was anything objectionable in them.

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