Whether you know or you don't, I lost my job 2 weeks ago. My mom has "hired" me to help her throw things away. When I say "hired," I mean "gave me something to do so I don't feel as guilty about taking money from my parents."
Anyway, my parents live in an enormous, once-beautiful house that is overrun by stuff and disrepair. I spent Saturday and part of Sunday over there working on my first project, the bedroom that once belonged to my brother. (He's tried out 3 of the 4 bedrooms in the 12 1/2 years we've lived there.) A few summers ago, my sister was home doing a veterinary internship ... and it was the CAT'S room.
Floor coated in (unused, thank God) kitty litter. Toys and books dating back to the early 90s, and we moved into that house in 1997. Clothes and shoes that wouldn't fit anyone in the house. Years' worth of Boy Scout manuals, low-scoring school papers, crayons, colored pencils, and glue. After 10+ hours, the floor is clean and about 1/2 the closet is tackled.
I got into a big fight with my dad when he came in to see what I was doing (he is the worst hoarder I've ever met.) We got into a screaming fight over my throwing away the broken, kitty-litter-covered, empty VHS cover for Toy Story. "WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU THROWING THAT AWAY? WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO WHEN WE FIND THE MOVIE AND THERE'S NO COVER FOR IT?!!?"
He is pathological and not supportive of my mom's desire to clean. Don't be like my dad!
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HUGS, Patty! You're doing the right thing! There is no rationalizing with someone like this. You just have to do it, but also try to be gentle with him.
ReplyDeletePS: So sorry to hear about your job!!!
I am never going to look at your dad the same again. But who had the low-scoring papers? I love finding that kind of stuff--it makes it more fun instead of all work.
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