Estate Sale

Today I went to an estate sale. I was driving home and the well-made purple sign beckoned me. I was looking for a fur coat. When I arrived it was clear that the man of the house had passed away leaving a surviving widow. The grown children were running the sale and a cute and friendly old woman with white wisps of hair stood by. She had a crumpled up tissue in her hand and a smile on her face. I could only imagine the emotions she was feeling. She looked happy and strong but that little tissue was evidence that she was also struggling with this. She was watching everything that she and her husband had accumulated through their years together being bargained for and sold at the lowest price the buyer could negotiate. And, wisely, she stood by and let her sentimentally-detached children price the items. It wasn't busy when I first arrived so I approached her and asked, "How are YOU doing?" She understood my meaning. She said she was doing alright. She had started living in an apartment at a "home" about a month ago. I asked her, "And how has that been for you?" Her reply was simply, "Well, I really like to garden and be outside." As I continued looking through her home I thought about the simple things that I, in my youth, take for granted. I listened as this sweet woman explained to others who had asked her to price things, "Let me get someone." It was her stuff, but she had eye degeneration and wanted to make sure she was selling things at a fair price. I kept looking around her home... craft items, cute handmade wall hangings, loads of vintage fabrics, a dress form. This woman lived. She had hobbies and skills. Her eyes are slowly failing her. How will she reinvent herself? In a new stifled environment what will keep her going? What will keep that smile alive? I ended up leaving the sale with 5 old keys, about a yard of fabric, two records, and thoughts about this woman and the new life she is starting. I hope she will find new ways to see the joys of life even without her sight. I wonder what people will see when I've lived my life and it's my turn for an "estate sale"?