Memories

How can you take apart a ferris wheel? How can you take it apart and move it away? I guess you can. When it's done, it's all over, it moves and it starts all over again. How can you pack and throw 16 years of memories into boxes and black trash bags? You can't.

We move out of the house in a week's time. My parents have been packing and moving things to my grandpa's place the last couple of weeks. I haven't had the time to do any packing until this weekend. It started off when my Mum told me that someone will remove the piano to my Small Aunt's house. It was when I realised it was time to go. Suddenly, I went into this frenzy and started throwing things into black trash bags but still, 95% of my things are still in the room. My Dad said that in the coming week, the Salvation Army will come for my beloved bed. Tell me, how am I supposed to handle this?

I suppose this is a lesson learnt - not to buy too many or any clothes, shoes and bags (CSB). If there's anything to sort, it's the CSB. If there's anything I should be throwing out or giving away, it's the CSB. But surely, those are just things.


I found cards, photos and old presents from friends and family. How could I possibly bear to throw away all these heart-felt and thought-filled tokens? The one thing I had most difficulty with was this glass figurine of a crane and a duck which decked out Barbra Streisand's 'The Way We Were' when I turned it at the bottom. It was a Christmas gift from my late aunt when I was still in school and it has been sitting on my piano since then. I couldn't simply put it into a box. I can't.

You see, my aunt introduced me to Barbra Streisand when I was in primary school and that was one song she used to hum and the one song I learnt to play - it made her proud and happy that I managed that. The figurine bore too much of a memory to simply pack away. I make no apologies for being a sentimental weepy but when people mean this much to me, just as my late aunt did (who still does and always will), I want to do justice for their importance in my life and not just 'pack it away'. It is true that people come and people go but when someone like my late aunt who was taken away all too soon and all too painfully, time never seems like it is ever enough to heal or fade away the memory of her. Mum was trying to hold back her tears when I showed her that figurine.

One thing is for sure though, as we move out from this house, a new chapter begins. But we will always remember the way we were.

The Way We Were
by Barbra Streisand

Memories
Like the corners of my mind
Misty water-coloured memories
Of the way we were

Scattered pictures
Of the smiles we left behind
Smiles we gave to one another
For the way we were

Can it be that is was all so simple then?
Or has time re-written every line?
If we had the chance to do it all again
Tell me, would we? Could we?

Memories, can be beautiful and yet
What's too painful to remember
We simply choose to forget
So it's the laughter
We will remember
Whenever we remember
The way we were....

Oh, if you can, do try and catch this classic film (The Way We Were) starring Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford.