In just a few, all too short weeks, I will be making a move from my present
home at Hotchkiss Grove in Branford to a small condominium apartment in the same
town. For someone who moved 13 times the first 10 years of married life and
whose profession entails helping other seniors navigate the moving process, this
should be “a piece of cake.”
But, somehow, it doesn’t seem like it. My
daughter claims that my present state of upheaval is “poetic justice.” Maybe so,
but I really think it is a learning opportunity, so I can be an even better
moving adviser to others, having made such a major change myself so
recently.
This particular move requires some drastic downsizing, which it
is past time to do. With no relatives close by, that does mean getting rid of
some cherished items that can’t be passed on to others in the family.
I
know that I need to free up my life from what I don’t need and use in order to
have the energy to do what is important. Sometimes we give too much importance
to that which is impermanent, and having more than we need becomes a burden. I
know I will feel much better once the move is accomplished ... it is just the
process that can leave you feeling frazzled.
This is also the first move without my husband, Val, although his presence is
certainly felt as I sort through the endless items and papers he accumulated and
stored in the basement, some of it useful information on the care and feeding of
our various appliances, which I will pass on to the next owner.
Other
items, like ancient receipts, high school yearbooks and outdated “to-do” lists
are of no value, but tug at the heartstrings of memory before being
discarded.
Having helped design the Let’s Get Moving program for seniors
at Pearce Plus Senior Services, I am especially fortunate to have had the advice
and help of an outstanding Realtor, and I am also familiar with a roster of
tried-and-true resources, from handymen to tag sale experts, who I can call
upon.
One of the innovative, new items I will be using to move is called
Jugglebox, which are green, re-usable, Earth-friendly sanitized plastic boxes
that are delivered to your home or office before your move. You simply fill the
boxes and move to your new location where you empty them, and then stack them
out of the way for the company to pick up later. Popular in New York, they are
new to Connecticut, come in two sizes, are inexpensive and handle and stack
easily. (Contact Dan Dachelet at 877-584-4532 for more information.)
A
major source of concern and unhappiness for me is that due to an unusual and to
my mind, onerous, unfeeling “no pet” policy at the condo-apartment I am
purchasing, my two beloved indoor cat companions will not be able to move with
me. I am looking for good homes for Ginger, a talkative red-haired, female tabby
not quite 5 years old, and shy little Chibi-chan, a quiet female chocolate
Siamese who is 2½ years old. Adoptive parents for one or both, please contact
me.
Contact Jean Cherni, certified senior adviser for Senior Living
Solutions and Pearce Plus, a helpful, full-service program for seniors
contemplating a move, at jeancherni@sbcglobal.net or 15 The
Ponds at 101 Hotchkiss Grove, Branford 06405.
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