2012-10-12T12:58:47Ztag:sursumcorda.salemsattic.com,2018:/isso/thread/post/scaling-downtag:sursumcorda.salemsattic.com,2018:/isso/901/34252012-10-12T12:58:47ZSursumCorda<p>Right. I had a very small glimpse of what you went through when moved to Boston in a relative hurry, and I had to do the not insignificant decluttering and decision-making by myself, since Porter had already left. NOT something I recommend or ever want to have to do again.</p> <p>Of course, I've had the impulse to simplify and pare down since 1999, when we helped Dad move out of his big ol' Victorian house—but life keeps giving me other priorities, so I still have a long way to go.</p> <p>Looking back at my diary to determine the date Dad made that move, I came upon these paragraphs that reminded me why I love our family so much:</p> <p>*We were together for a sad purpose, but working together was nonetheless a lot of fun. It was great for the four siblings to be together, even better to be together with Dad, and wonderful to be part of a family that gets along so well and has so much fun together even while working very hard.</p> <p>As we contemplated the contents of our house, we noted that we had few good things in our family—veneered furniture and cheap dishes, for example—but grew up with good people, and good relationships, which we wouldn’t trade for all the antiques and expensive china in the world.*</p>tag:sursumcorda.salemsattic.com,2018:/isso/901/34242012-10-11T20:09:52ZKathyLewis<p>And it's likely to be easier and less painful if you can do it gradually, instead of what I had to do when I moved to the Gambia. Though my heirs should have it pretty easy!</p>