A picture is worth a thousand words. Complex and sometimes multiple ideas can be conveyed by a single image, more befitting than words.

What shall stay and what shall go?

In the still unpacking process, we are up to old photos and very old black and white Polaroids.

There is no substitute for the Army pic of my father where the eyes are shaded blue and the faintest application of pink sits upon his cheeks. 

Old wedding albums with other spouses are in the garbage pail sprinkled with this mornings coffee grinds. No brainer.

The shots of many lifetimes ago gets its own pile to go through one more time. 

There is no hesitation on dumping photos of Lake Tahoe and old ski instructors.

Too many lessons of so many activities offers a panoply of memories customizing our so many years alive. Lucky indeed- poo poo!

Ok, back to Rachel and Ali and Jackie dressed up as clowns in the keep forever and Classic pile.

Positioned very far away from the one more look, one more sigh and dump garbage bag.

An afternoon of coo-ing, aw-ing and hard swallowing gulps of missing people so much. Oh mommy, if only we could have one more belly laugh- gut wrenching realities in our faces.

We paused, went for Carvel and returned to the sight of graduation and bar mitzvah pictures eight grandchildren later. Never missed a photo shoot of pasta and pancake sleepovers and flowers on our terrace. 

So until we meet again in the garage on a low chair sorting through memories of gelato in Italy, croissants in Paris and sacher torts in Vienna we will throw out one more bag of our long agos and far aways and get ready for our charity event in Boca where we will collect one more photo to put in the keep for now pile. 

B’h