When I hear the word “inheritance” I think of an estate;
where someone has died and bequeathed a financial benefit to a relative.
According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of inheritance includes “the
acquisition of a possession, condition, or trait from past generations.”
My mother recently moved into a Senior Living Apartment. My
sister and her friend did most of the heavy lifting when it came to the move.
They packed things in boxes, identified furniture to move, and disassembled the
various electronic devices that went with her. I helped with some of the
packing. Some.
Sorting through my mother’s things afforded us an
opportunity to inherit items that she wanted us to have. There were items that
she was not going to take with her, but we had given her as a gift so we
“helped ourselves” to the inheritance. At some point, we will have a family
gathering to sort through items that others may want. I am sure there are gifts
my brother or niece gave her that they would like to keep for themselves.
Sorting through my mother’s vast collection of coffee mugs
was interesting. I hope that those she left behind will be inherited by family
and friends.
Over the years, there is one mug that I always used when I
visit my mother.
I assumed she would take it with her to her new apartment
so that I would have “my mug” during my visits. Instead, she asked that I take
it with me. It is my inheritance.
Of all the items I could ever inherit, this mug will mean
the most to me. My mother is still alive, and I think of her every time I see
it. I treasure it when I use it. And I am aware that there will come a time
when this mug will be all that I have left as a tangible reminder of my
mother’s love for me.
For me, this is the greatest earthly inheritance a daughter
can receive from her mother.
Thank you, Mom!
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