And then it hits you ---

We've been cleaning out spaces - closets, and corners and the garage and such - lol, that have been collecting "stuff". We have a dumpster coming in a few days and looking forward to getting stuff cleared out. A lot of the things we are going through are boxes that got shoved places when we bought and moved into the house almost 5 years ago. There can't be anything "super" important in them --- but then again, of course there is.

As I was going through one of the many boxes shoved in the craft room closet, I found some stuff seemingly unimportant to most, but brought a smile and tears!

My mom passed away almost 10 years ago. She had Scleroderma for 28 years - and just as the doctor told us - Scleroderma would always be secondary to whatever she had, complicating it further. She was also a breast cancer survivor. I remember sitting in the room with my mom when the doctor told us she had breast cancer. For a "normal" person it was very little and some radiation would take care of it quickly. But - because of the Scleroderma - it complicated it. She could not have radiation because of it. It would burn her skin and cause more issues. She had to have a mastectomy.

My mom was notorious for writing notes and thank you cards. Now - back to that box in the closet. The box i was going through had some decor items from the craft room in the old house. I pulled out a rustic metal angel that my mom had given me for Christmas one year, and laying below it was this card. Sigh. Some days it just hits you out of nowhere. I miss my mom tremendously - and this pulled at my heartstrings like crazy.

This was right after she had her mastectomy. She borrowed some shirts/blouses that buttoned up the front because she could't raise her arm above her head for a bit. My dad worked his hands to the bone and I would take my mom to her appointments and such, and was there to help during recovery.

This container was also in the box - it holds the guest list for our wedding - the RSVP cards, lists of the gifts received from both the shower and the wedding. This also has my mom all over it - both in her writing, and her 'organizational' idea - lol. It was fun to flip through the cards - so many no longer with us, others married with children and families now.

Time is a funny thing. You're minding your own business one minute and then it hits you -- and your pulled into a whirlwind of emotions and memories. I can't believe mom has been gone for almost 10 years - but then there are times it feels like she has been gone for 100.

Thanks for stopping by ---

I'll be adding more projects soon. I have to get back in my craft room and be creative. I've been doing lots of cleaning -- lol, it's seriously cutting into my craft time ;) .