Those of you who receive a message when something new is posted to CaringBridge might be wondering what this is all about. You may think it a bit unconventional for me to post here when Dad is no longer with us.

I write here because, as the reading we selected for his funeral program stated, “So as long as we live, they too shall live, for they are now a part of us, as we remember them.”

It’s been only three months, but so much has changed since I stood at Dad’s grave. Not only is the dragonfly gone from the garden−“In the rustling of the leaves and the beauty of autumn, we remember them…”−But Dad’s house is almost empty, too.

If you have been through this, the losing a loved one, you know. After someone passes, every item they owned becomes someone else’s decision. No item is left untouched, from the smallest safety pin lying on the dresser to the largest piece of furniture in the living room. And there is a weight to decisions that is far greater than the heft of any household furnishing.

One of Dad’s love languages was acts of service. So, when we began sorting through Mom and Dad’s home and possessions, it only made sense to view this as a labor of love, the last nice thing we could do for him (for both of them, really). We’ve donated, sorted, packed, emptied, cleared out, dismantled, cleaned up, and so much more...

People call it “clearing out.” But there have been days when, after leaving a room stripped bare, my soul felt emptier than the space that surrounded me.

All that remains are time-worn walls, rooms filled with nail holes and the marks of daily living. There are loud echoes of memories, absorbed only by carpeted floors that have been impacted with the wear that comes as one walks their way through life.

And that is what we must do, keep on walking through our life.

On Saturday, November 3 we will be taking the next big step and holding an auction sale for Dad’s estate. It will be an emotionally challenging day in many ways as we say goodbye to the earthly trinkets and treasures that now represent our parents. Many of these items have decorated our lives since childhood. So, I’m asking for your prayers to support my family as this day approaches. We ask for peace. We ask for good weather, a dry day, with sunshine and no wind. We ask for a good, strong turnout.

I am posting a link here to share some of the items on the sale. http://www.sdauctions.com/index.php?cmd=prevauction&id=16511

There will be much more from the house that is not pictured, and I’m thinking that some of you may find something useful for your walk through life.

One of the items from my parent's home is already neatly placed in my dining room cabinet in Sioux Falls. When Thanksgiving Day rolls around in a few weeks I will be the third cook to set the table with the pink rose “Delaware” china that I’ve now inherited, and this will be the beginning of my time to use the dishes my grandmother and then my mother before me used. We will sit around the table and do exactly what Dad taught us to do--not just on Thanksgiving Day, but on every day--count our blessings! Our remembering will continue.