Labor Day Weekend

Four day weekend, three day garage sale equals exhaustion and a whole lot of other emotions I want prepared for. Garage sales always attract an interesting crowd, I know this from being a reseller for years. I loved the thrill of the hunt, repurposing and reselling but there was too much drama in the industry for me. Sometimes the drama was at garage sales from fellow dealers trying to out buy each other. Sometimes the gossip was overwhelming, which occurred in the antique malls where I had my booths. However, I wasn't interested in making friends or enemies, just being creative. I always stayed away from the small talk. For me, it was for fun and a way to make some extra cash. Perhaps so I could buy my ex husband gifts or have extra money on hand for a vacation. I will say though, I got hoodwinked by a fellow antique dealer using sly tactics over integrity this weekend. These are the times you just have to let it go, move on, learn and forgive.

Garage sales attract a very diverse crowd. First, there are always people who come by to have a social engagement. On Thursday my first interactive customer showed up about 2:30 and stayed for over an hour, (maybe even an hour and a half!). She was very sweet and we talked about her husband's diagnosis of Parkinson's disease as well as her love of gardening for quite some time. I suppose the most interesting part of our conversation was that I was invited over any time to pop in and socialize. The following day, I had a woman have a very awkward conversation about the end of my marriage without ever acknowledging she really knew anything. I knew she heard from an acquaintance which made it more awkward. I was caught off guard and accepted her offer on a shelf which was hugely under priced. Good thing she changed her mind!

Lastly, I met an older couple who was as sweet as sweet could be. They bought a few things in the morning after telling me it was the best sale they have ever been to. They came back later that day with cash in hand. After multiple purchases, Grace informed me that she felt the need to come back and let me know that anything I needed, she would be there for me. If I needed to store my things for another garage sale, her home was open to me. We could have a sale anytime I wanted if necessary. Grace left me her number with a note telling me she loved me and to call her if I needed her. I truly felt God's presence in my life after she left. She had that feeling she needed to come back and tell me these things as well as told me she was praying for me. It was all a bit surreal since I never mentioned any personal information to her.

The most amazing thing about this weekend was that my friend Gigi worked tirelessly this entire time purely to be with me for this difficult time. She knew how hard this was letting go not just of the "things", but of an entire 20 year marriage that I was selling off. She was there every day and not only gave me guidance, but was the ultimate salesperson and emotional support guru to get me through each day. I wasn't ready for the sadness because I had convinced myself that I was 100% ready for a new beginning. However, letting go of things that had memories or things my ex husband and I purchased together, cut like a knife. Gigi was definitely my glue that held this weekend together, I certainly would be remiss to not thank her daughter, Alyssa and my daughter, Delia for helping us out in sometimes small ways and sometimes huge efforts to assist in a sale this big!

It is also with great gratitude that I thank Leslie for going out with me on Sunday night to Bumbershoot, our local Seattle music festival. We had a great time dancing, drinking, and eating (thank you Jenn!) and enjoying the music. The best answer to a completely stressful three days! I am so grateful that we were blessed with the good luck to get last minute inexpensive tickets for not only Leslie and I, but Delia, as well to spend Labor Day in Seatlle with family and friends.

This last week was far more intense than I ever thought imaginable. I was clearly not ready for the pain of letting go. I thought that I had put behind me all of the sadness and was ready to start my future fresh. I really do wish for a bright new beginning. My hope is it will be. I am just saddened by the new reminder of an ending. I am so weighed down that what I thought was a sure thing, wasn't. What truly keeps me going is hope. It is not only my hope but the sheer postiivity I see in friends who are also going through tough time.

Thanks you to Gigi, Delia, Alyssa, Leslie and Grace for magically giving this long weekend!