Donation Time
I finally got an afternoon free last week for Kate and I to sort through the toys we had been slowly collecting to take to a local charity for donation. We went through all the boxes and bags that have been sitting in closets in our house and relived old memories of when she was a baby and played with this toy or that. I knew Kate was having a hard time with parting with things that had once been hers (heck, most adults have a hard time with that, too!), but I really wanted her to be a part of the giving process and not just see these things disappear from the house.
We finally got finished, packed it all up and drove down the street to Northwest Assistance Ministries. When we got to there, we took a few minutes to look around their resale shop so Kate would have a better understanding of where her beloved things were going. When wemade it around to the back, the volunteer who helped us unload the car was very sweet to Kate and assured her that all her toys would be put to good use.
As soon as we got back into the car, Kate burst into tears. She just knew she was really going to miss all of her things. (Mind you, most of them had been put away in a closet for months with no mention from her. But, you know how kiddos can be.) So, we talked about how awesome it was going to be for all the boys and girls that didn’t have many toys to get to play with hers because she was so generous to share. We talked about how maybe the little girl we saw in the resale shop would get some of Kate’s old dress up clothes to wear for Halloween. We talked about ‘give and you shall receive’. We talked about the sun behind every cloud as she peered out the car window at the overcast sky was and pointed out the patches of sunshine peeking through.
Then, we decided that the two of us needed a date.
at McDonald’s.
with an ice cream cone.
And then, everything was alright with the world again.
“But I’ll still miss those toys, Mommy.” 
The Mommy Journal is a collection of product reviews, articles and advice from the experiences of real-life Mommies. Our goal is to bring you funny stories, practical advice, baby gear reviews, and answers to questions about motherhood, maternity, babies, and parenting. If you have any pregnancy questions, baby questions or just general feedback, comments, and thoughts on motherhood, please email us!! Also, please feel free to send us any product reviews, articles and advice from your own experiences.
November 4th, 2008 at 7:29 pm
What a precious girl you have! I remember doing that with my mom too when I was her age and it was very hard but ice cream does make everything feel better
. Tell her that “aunt” Talitha is very proud of her 
.
Also, I started a blog
. It’s hashbrownlove.blogspot.com. Don’t know what made me start it but it’s been so theraputic to get all my thoughts out. Love you guys bunches!
November 12th, 2008 at 11:13 am
I’m just hoping that when she’s older she’ll look back on this experience as a good one and not something that she has to work through with her therapist.
Love your blog. Lots of insight into my cousin as a fully-growed adult!
March 11th, 2009 at 3:07 am
Haha ^^ nice, is there a section to follow the RSS feed
March 12th, 2009 at 12:34 pm
Sure is. Just click on the big orange RSS feed icon in the top right corner of the site. Enjoy!