Thank Goodness For Minivans!

For as long as I can remember, my mother drove a minivan. My friends and I would fight over who would get to sit in what we called "the back back". The van would shuttle us to our after school activities, play dates, and summer camps. It would take us to Dr. appointments, haircuts, and orthodontist appointments. It would make sure we got safely to Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, weekend parties, and school dances. It moved us into new homes and out of old ones. Whether the trip was around the corner or 4 to 5 hours away, we knew the van would get us there.
Our vans would grow old and retire but my mom would always get a brand new one within days. My brother and I went off to college and my mom continued to drive her empty van around town. We both graduated and moved out of house but my mom happily kept driving her van. A few years ago my parents bought a house down in Florida and the van shuttled a full load of belongings down there. The van decided to make Florida it's home and my mom was left vanless in NJ. She debated whether to buy a new van for the Garden State and thank goodness she did.
When I first started teaching in Chinatown 6 years ago, it was the van that carried a small bench for my 1st graders to sit on, 1,000s of pencils, folders, and books. Most importantly it carried my grandmother's rocking chair, the chair I sat in every single weekday for the past 6 years. The students loved that chair as did the other teachers who visited my room.
This past Saturday the van took one last drive (for a while) to my school in Chinatown. We once again filled it with notebooks, books, and other personal belongings including my grandmother's rocking chair. When the students came in today, the first thing they noticed was the missing chair. Every child seemed very concerned about this chair they were so used to seeing me sit in every day. I told them it's back where it came from at my parents house in NJ. The only other question asked to me was "how did you fit the big chair in your car?" With a smile on my face, all I could say was "thank goodness for minivans."

Sorting it all out...

What to take...What to leave...
These were the major questions of the long weekend. While most people were enjoying the gorgeous weather, sitting on the beach, or backyard BBQs, D and and I were sorting through 7 years of accumulated "stuff". You can hardly see the living room floor! I am trying to get rid of as much stuff as possible while D is planning on taking a library of hard cover books he has already read and probably won't open once while living in Asia. D's motto for me "out with the old before in with the new"(I try very hard to follow this rule). Every time I buy something new, I need to get rid of something old that I don't wear. I think he needs to follow his own advice when it come to his books. :) With one month to go before the movers come, we have a lot more to sort through. My parents' basement already looks like the gift departments of Bloomingdales, Barneys, and Crate and Barrel. So, if anyone is the market for a non-fiction, hardcover book please let me know. Otherwise, we will be continuing our relationship with the guy who works in the donation room at the Salvation Army.