Well Behaved Women…
…seldom make history. Or so the saying goes. No doubt you have seen it attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt or even Marilyn Monroe, but Laurel Thatcher Ulrich coined the phrase in 1976. CLICK HERE to read more.
And its original context was not in praise of rule-breakers or barrier-defying mavericks. “She wrote those words lamenting about the fact that so many women who made positive impacts on society are overlooked by history.”
March is National Women’s History Month. Designated by the US Congress in 1981 and by proclamation of Presidents since it is meant to “celebrate the contributions women have made to the United States and recognize the specific achievements women have made over the course of American history in a variety of fields.” To read more on Women’s History month CLICK HERE.
A shout out to our male readers – so glad you are out there. But face it, most of the work of caregiving, downsizing, decluttering, or moving and cleaning out our parent’s and grandparent’s homes of 50+ years falls to the women descendants of the family.
According to AgingCare.com, as many as “[s]ixty-two percent of women provide more than 20 hours of care each week compared to 38 percent of men.” Since the pandemic, many women have left jobs and careers to provide this care, often uprooting their lives to relocate closer to mom or dad.
And, when it comes to activities associated with moving a parent to nursing care or clearing out the home after a parent’s death, it is most often a daughter or daughter-in-law who organizes the action.
A recent blog on dumpsters.com gives some excellent advice for cleaning out a parent’s home, including:
1. Find important documents
2. Forward mail
3. Change locks
4. Take a tour and process everything
5. Create a plan of action and time frame
6. Start sorting through items and clearing out rooms
7. Donate or sell items
8. Get rid of items you cannot donate or sell
9. Clean the home
And, more often than not, the list includes a 10. Call your sister!
To read the full article CLICK HERE
Watching your parents leave their home (probably your childhood home) for the last time is never easy. Dealing with the aftermath isn’t either. If you get stuck at any point along this list, Golden Bridges is here to help. We can pick up wherever you want to leave off. And if you live out of town, or state, or the country… we can do it all.
From full service (free consultation) to our newest product, Spotless Advantage (cleaning the home to prepare for a realtor visit), the women at Golden Bridges have “got that”.
So, during Women’s History Month, we salute the quiet women, the well behaved women, the women doing the right thing for their parents and their families.
Ladies, it’s your move, Golden Bridges can help!
Susan Scholz, Partner
Golden Bridges