Not unusually for me, I have worked with multiple members of the same #families and our team has helped them through more than one #transition. One person uses our services and then other family members want to enjoy seamless transitions too.
In one such situation we originally helped the parents relocate from a four bedroom house to a two bedroom condo. This couple had raised a family in their house for thirty-eight years so you can imagine there was a bit of downsizing to do… . Mom and Dad were both experiencing #healthIssues and we got them very nicely set up in their new home keeping everything as stress-free for everyone as was humanly possible.
Then a couple of years later one of their daughters, now in her sixties, liked the lifestyle that her parents were enjoying and she too made the decision to sell her house, happily leaving home maintenance behind. We helped her with #organizing an on-line auction and we did her pack and unpack and set-up at the time as she herself transitioned into a condo.
A few years after that when the Dad passed away, the Mom moved into a retirement residence for an extended respite stay. She later made the choice to remain there so the decision was made to sell their condo.
I made a few recommendations at this point but, as one of the daughters had recently left her job, the #family decided to try tackling the condo clear-out on their own. One of the adult daughters was living out west and was the most sentimental of the sisters. Some things were going to her house, some things were going to the daughter’s condo here and others were being transported to the third daughter’s house just outside of the #GTA. There were also some items being purchased by the condo buyer and it was decided that the rest would be donated. Surprise – there was more involved than they first thought… .
We’d originally arranged donations to Furniture Bank from their parent’s house back in the day so what would they donate this time from the condo? What would go elsewhere?
One of the sisters had offered things to the new buyer that another had committed to a family friend. The sister out west changed her mind a few times about what she wanted and so their fluid lists were ever changing.
Not surprising – and while everyone was still talking – at Mom’s urging I got a call to please help them to navigate it all.
We talked about best strategies and there were a lot of questions:
1. What would be the best cross country mover to make sure that the beautiful but finicky Grandfather clock would make it safely?
2. Who should do the local moves?
3. What would go to Furniture Bank?
4. What about the stuff in the #storage unit downstairs?
5. Could they do all the moves on the same day?
6. What dates then would they need to book the condo elevator?
7. Where would the rest go?
8. How would it get there?
9. Why wouldn’t Furniture Bank take that lovely headboard?
10. What about the four seater couch or the marble topped table from the foyer?
Sorry, lovely as they may be, those are furnishings that Furniture Bank does not presently accept. So what to do with them?
The world of sales and donations is a rapidly evolving universe that can create what? #Decision Fatigue!
As I worked with one of the local sisters she shared just how tiring the whole process had been for them - and this is a loving and well-functioning family! Think how crazy it would get for families who are already experiencing tensions… .
By and large, most people want to do the right thing. They want the belongings that they can’t use to be enjoyed by others in need. They want to keep things out of landfill. But it can be really overwhelming, not to mention potentially draining, when there are a flood of memories associated with each item.
Another thing too is that each family member will often have quite different #memories about the same items. There can be no predicting what emotions will surface – some good and some painful. A sensitive, experienced and objective Senior Move Manager can help. One with a background in mental health support, crisis intervention and dispute resolution? Priceless!
Banish your family’s Decision #Fatigue and engage the services of a Senior Move Manager who will help you to navigate the emotional as well as the practical challenges of what to do with all that #stuff… . End the suffering! At Moving Seniors with a Smile Inc. we do it with a smile!
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