Burden Bearers

May 24, 2012 | My Jottings

I’m interrupting my blog hiatus to say thank you to two men who have just unloaded a huge burden from Michael’s and my backs.

As we’ve been packing up our house and carrying boxes out to the storage pods in our driveway, getting ready to move 1.1 miles west, there’s been a disquieting thrum in the background of my thoughts.

The garage.

The garage is Michael’s domain, and over the past years as his Parkinson’s has advanced, the garage has been harder for him to keep organized. And any time I considered doing it myself, I started hyperventilating and would just push the thought to the back of my mind. But it would always crowd to the forefront again, and I kept thinking, how in the world am I going to go through the garage and decide what needs moving, what needs donating, and what needs trashing?

Last week, I came to the realization that I could not possibly do it.

So I emailed my two sons-in-law, Chris (left) and Jeremy. I sort of whimpered in print that I needed their help. They put their heads together and set a date where they could both work together, and they came over two days ago and cheerfully began the daunting task.

Here is one example of what they had to deal with:

Chris and Jeremy showed up with smiles and started dividing everything up in groups of what to keep and what had to leave the premises. They loaded the storage pods with the most essential things we will need (who needs eight shovels, six levels and nine hammers?) at the new house. They took truckloads of broken or worn-out things to the dump. They did things I’m not even aware of — I just know it resulted in happy, relieved tears from their mother-in-law.

It’s raining today and I don’t have a picture yet of the finished result, but it’s almost miraculous. The garage looks like a garage we can happily present to the new owners of our home. I will put some more photos up soon.

Today I will attend our two Foster care meetings and continue the work on our packing with the feeling that a huge burden has been lifted from our shoulders.

Thank you, thank you, Chris and Jeremy!

Comments

  1. Shari C. says:

    Yay for wonderful son-in-laws! You are so blessed, Julie!!! …and they are blessed to have you, too 🙂

  2. Just Julie says:

    Thank you, Shari! I loved the wedding pictures on your blog! Sara looked so lovely and I’ll bet you’re partial to your son-in-law too. xxoo

  3. Christy says:

    Awesome men…..and handsome too !

  4. Just Julie says:

    And cheerful helpers!

  5. Dorothy Sooter says:

    Oh Julie, what a wonderful blessing. Chris and Jeramy look just
    like they did when I saw them so many years ago. Please give them both a big hug for me.

  6. Just Julie says:

    I will do that Dorothy…I know they would hug you right back! Ly…

  7. Diane says:

    Julie, your blog posts always make me so happy. But to see those two sweet men, smiling here, and reading about their loving service to their mother-in-law and father-in-law makes me stop and thank God–for them, and for you and Michael.

    Love you, all, dear family.

    Diane

  8. Kay in UK says:

    Hmmm … You had your work cut out there! Still, it’s great that you have two such wonderful sons-in-law.
    You should see inside Alan’s shed! A friend refers to it as a ‘branch of NASA’! It’s full of computers and the accompanying ‘stuff’. If we should ever move home ….!
    Wishing you all the best with the move Julie, not many sleeps now, eh?
    We’ll be praying for all of you.
    Kay
    xxoo

  9. Ember says:

    Yes, THANK YOU Chris and Jeremy from all of us all over the world watching narrowly and hardly breathing as Julie gets near to the top of the moving mountain!

  10. Just Julie says:

    Diane, Kay and Ember…you three warmed my heart with your comments today….thank you. God bless each of you, and all of yours.

  11. Marcia says:

    That’s my favorite kind of just-loving. Someone doesn have to do something, may not even be too excited about doing it. And they do it. Because they just-love. Bless those two guys. Hope the move is smoothing out…..it’s almost over!

  12. Ember says:

    Julie – think of you especially today! Your computer will be all packed away and in transit, I know – even so I wanted you to know when you get everything out again, we knew the moving day and didn’t forget you! God bless your move and may it bring much happiness xxx

  13. Just Julie says:

    Ty Ember! Lying here in the dark of a hotel with my iPad…in a couple hours we’ll close on the new house, then the movers carry in what was packed into the pods yesterday. We are ty-ode. Have been carrying you around in my thoughts and prayers dear Ember…xxoo

  14. Ganeida says:

    Stopping by to say.Thinking of you today. 😀

  15. Just Julie says:

    What a gift to know that, dear Ganeida….thinking of you earlier today too…xxoo

  16. Ember says:

    And still carrying you in my thoughts, in my heart . . . God bless your new home! xxx

  17. Just Julie says:

    ((Ember))

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