Inheritance

A friend of mine is caught between two family members. They had a falling out of some kind (the details are lost behind a curtain of bitter silence) over an inheritance some time ago. These two family members are both caring and kind and very concerned that the problems between them might repeat themselves later, causing similar problems between my friend and her siblings. Consequently, they are making sure that all belongings are clearly marked for the day when the siblings will have to go through the process of dividing up someone else's belongings - a difficult task no matter when it is done. The only problem is that this pre-planning, combined with the lack of communication between loved ones, is giving my friend a whole new bundle of goodies to inherit. Silence, anger, and sorrow are being packed up right along with that old waffle iron and the 16 sets of pillowcases. Although she doesn't mention it much, I know that my friend worries about the day when reconciliation is no longer an option and the material things are all that are left. Because when it comes right down to it, it's not the cookbooks and tool kits and knick-knacks that are important. It's the memories that are attached to them that make them worth inheriting.