the packing...

It all started last night. My sister A and I went over to my sister G’s house to help her move. She had to move out the next day. We had a late start and, of course, my sister G had no newspapers or boxes to pack.

My sister G knew that my sister A was at my house before we went over to hers. It’s not that we mind helping out, but why did she wait until last minute?

My sister A got a little upset because she had to drive back to her house to pick up boxes she was saving for when she moves. And I went back to my house to pick up leftover newspapers that we use to start the fire in the fireplace. My hubby owns a small pick up truck (which luckily he wasn’t driving that night) and my sister was able to use it to move out some of the heavier things.

When we got back to G’s house, I could tell she was already feeling tense. She did not look like she was in a good mood and it didn’t help matters that my sister and I gave her a lecture. I told her she needed to look through her things and pick out what was not useful to her so she can throw away. I also said to her, “Didn’t you learn from me?” “You saw how I kept everything all over the place…by the time I had a chance to clean things out, it became too overwhelming!”

“I know, I know.” “But I don’t have time for that now!” I have to get everything out by tomorrow!” My sister G says to me. To which my sister A exclaimed, “If you knew you were moving, why did you wait until the last minute to do this?!”

Through the course of the night, everyone was getting a little stressed out and nerves were running high. She had too many things to pack and it was already getting late. I saw it in G’s eyes that she was ready to quit. I tried to make a joke out of things or dismiss the remarks that my sister A was making because by that time, she too was getting moodier by the minute. Especially because my sister G was not feeling up to moving and she was not speeding up the process! I knew if we stayed any longer everyone was going to end up angry at each other. There was just too much to do in so little time. I tried telling my sister to take one room at a time and to get as much out as possible so that the clean up would be easier on Saturday. I don’t know if she took my advice. But if she didn't get with it, she would be looking at a heavy day the next day.

When G asked me if I was coming over the next day to help, I told her that I had a busy day and might not be able to. And my sister A adds, "You picked the wrong week to move!" "If you're gonna want me to come help you, you better call me... early!"

We left my sister's house a little before midnight. Instead of it making it a girl’s night (drinking beer, talking and helping pack), it almost became a catfight!