2 suitcases, a hot cup of coffee and lots of shoes..

Well, here I am listening to Bon Jovi on the ipod as I am packing my "stuff". This is the beginning of a new chapter of my life. The first step has been taken and packing it is. As I had unpacked years ago, today I find myself packing. The cycles we all go through in life, you can never really know.

I made myself a nice brew of coffee and tried on some nice shoes (spring and summer wear) before bagging them and placing them in the 2 red suitcases that are open before me. No one said this has to be an excruciating thing, right? I might as well enjoy my shoes, for I know it will be very long time before I meet up with them again.

Had to dig some plastic bags to wrap these babies up before putting them altogether in one suitcase. I am sure it will take several suitcases to empty this place up.

There is a sense of finality to this exercise. And so far I am doing well, emotionally I mean. I found a nice framed photo of R and me when we attended Lucia's baptismal from years ago. Lots of changes in me from then and now. Memories of good times.

I dug some more stuff, boy do I have loads of them! Purses of all sizes, shirts of various colors and things that I would like to take still with me to my next destination. I found some music CDs. It would be great to find forgotten "treasures" in them.

As I am doing this, I thought in one's life we have to learn to let go of people, situations, things and stuff, memories and most especially we have to learn to let go of ourselves. And letting go I ponder is a human attempt to correct what had happened in the past. Strength you might think may come from holding on but it takes a stronger person to let go. It is a form of acceptance that there are certain things that cannot be. And in my case, this is the sincerest and purest form of saying ...I love you.

Here on forward, we girls like to call this part "picking up the pieces" and that basically means... it is all over.

It is my belief that we never truly leave anyone behind. We leave a part of us in them and we take a piece of them with us.

There is no saying what tomorrow brings but for me, I have some serious packing to do and I better get a crack at it.

I am strong. I can do this and I am not alone.