As you know, every now and then as I get time I am going through Dad’s archives, and realising more and more what a hoarder he was – he has not only kept all his own theological college lecture notes (he was ordained in the 40s) – he’s also kept his father’s too – who was ordained in 1916!!! 88|
Which leaves me with about a century’s worth of paper to wade through, and I have to make decisions, because when we retire we are seriously downsizing, and can’t possibly take boxes and boxes of papers with us …
What to do? I wasn’t sure. All this paper could be recycled … but some of it was personal, and a lot of it was spiritual, and somehow recycling, although it would be very symbolic! – didn’t seem right 
So I hit upon the idea of having a bonfire in the garden, and burning the bin bags full of paper (not the bags, just the paper :crazy: ). It felt more appropriate, somehow. A sort of ‘sacrifice’ of their ministries, and of the people they were, and the people they have made me. And do it with prayer, and thankfulness in my heart.
![burning+paper[1]](https://i0.wp.com/data7.blog.de/media/255/6051255_48d1cd067b_m.jpeg)
But if you are the sentimental sort, – and I am not usually, but Dad’s and Grandpa’s stuff packs a spiritual punch – it’s hard to let it go … so here’s a tip. Do the bonfire as the sun is going down.
![93[1]](https://i0.wp.com/data7.blog.de/media/308/6051308_47f10204b5_m.jpeg)
It will soon be too dark to read the writing on the papers. That way, you can’t think ‘oh wow, I can’t possibly burn this, it’s really interesting …’ š :yes:
Godschool's Blog 
A big decision, but a good one I think gilly. Sis and I still have papers of mums and ihave some letters wrote o me at school, but most is gone now. I kept mums diaries for years and years š
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It’s so difficult to know what to do, isn’t it – it’s part of who we are!
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A hard thing to do but the sunset was obviously greatly fired up with it and yay… a burnt offering… š
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A wonderful post Gilly, and it seems to me that you have made a wise decision. We can only keep so much….x
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Yes indeed, Janet: for me, the dilemma was not so much, ‘should I get rid of them?’ because I must: the dilemma was more ‘how’?
There’s something very symbolic about a fire!
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Very good idea. We need to innovate as you have done…. Taking Leave is never easy! What we have written, said, touched, made….that with which we have been intimately connected…all carry something intrinsic about us…. In a manner of speaking….’These’ become ‘Us’. Hugs! :)xx
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It seems to be an inbuilt ‘trait’ in many of us to want to hang on to the things that pertain to our identity …
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Quite! In the nature of our ‘Being’….We cannot/ do not exist in a vacumm….Connectedness is essential to ‘Being’;)x
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How much do we hang on to, which is ‘enough’? – is the question I ask myself :))
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Ultimately we ‘hang on to’ that which has become ‘internalised’….
Family heirlooms can take mmany forms….
In days of yore….roots were embedded in the ‘family story’ retold to later generations…additons made by subsequent generations…;)
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Yes, that’s true – and still true in many societies. It would be fun to ponder on what our family’s ‘mythology’ might be š
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We are having the same decision to make with uncles stuff, he has kept things belonging to his grandparents and parents . . . . it is history and very hard to part with but we couldn’t possibly keep it all . . . . and trying to clear it takes so long as it all has to be read just in case and then we get engrossed in things from the past and time just slips away.
I am definately clearing all my bits before too long as I don’t want my children to have to decide what to do with everything.
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Well I was saying to Hub, we are probably the last generation to have committed things to paper – from now on it will all be on the web, one way or another! That’s why I’m posting some of Dad’s stuff – that way, it will still be around for people to look at.
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A very big decision to make but you’ve obviously come up with the best solution. ~x~
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I wish I’d had time to read every piece of paper … but I would be at it from now until doomsday :no:
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