Hostage Update

As O. Henry proved – one should be careful about what they wish for in a hostage/ransom situation. Recall I have been holding Daughter #2's new Ikea bed hostage until she officially moved all of her “stuff” out of her childhood room, now more commonly known as my office/guestroom. Today she paid the ransom. Today she took the “stuff” she wanted. The “stuff” she wanted fit into two large plastic storage boxes. The rest of the “stuff," accumulated over the course of her lifetime, I inherited. Clothes, knick-knacks, mementos of her childhood, adolescent, and teen years, c.d.s, furniture, books and assorted craft supplies are all now mine. As if I don’t already have enough “stuff”. Now I will be cleaning/purging her room in order to make it mine.

There is something very sad about one’s child moving out of the house for good. She physically moved out years ago, but having her things in her room still made it feel like hers. I could even still smell her plumeria body spray when I went into the room. (I discovered this is because I inherited an entire plastic milk crate full of scented bath products.) But now, she has relinquished all claim to her room; she has taken what she wanted and is out of here. It is what I have been asking her to do for months, maybe years. Oddly, I’m not as thrilled about it as I thought I would be (and it doesn’t have anything to do with her bequeathing her “stuff” to me). It’s because my baby is gone. Her room will soon officially be the office/guestroom – and I’m a little sad about it.

Before I can wallow in sadness and self-pity I have to finish cleaning/purging her room. Perhaps it is a good thing that she left me with a job to do; less time to miss her, even if she is only across town.