Love Letters: What We Find When We Take Our Time
One of the things I’m proudest of is how we approach a house clearance when one of our solicitors calls us to collect a set of keys. It’s so important to respect the home of someone who is no longer there — whether they’ve passed away, downsized, or moved into a care home. We take our time, work methodically, and stay alert to anything that might mean something to family or friends left behind.
I remember clearing a bedside table once and coming across a small bundle of what I thought, at first glance, were greeting cards from various people. Looking closer, I realised they were all written by the same person — each one a beautiful poem, addressed to the home owner who had passed away.
I couldn’t bring myself to throw them away without checking first, so I held onto them until I’d spoken to the solicitor and the family. It turned out, sadly, that the person who had written those poems had also passed away by then. But I just had to check.
I still think back on that day sometimes — coming across the love that had clearly existed between two very good friends, tucked quietly away in a bedside table, waiting to be found. It’s moments like that which remind me why we never rush through a clearance, and why taking the time to look properly always matters.