Thoughts

Four years ago today, my mom Diane passed away. She had Type 1 Diabetes for over 40 years, and eventually it took its toll on her heart. She had a triple bypass in 1/2007, but it was unsuccessful. She had a defibrillator put in in the summer of 2007, but even it couldn't save her. She had a heart attack in her sleep July 15, 2008. She was only 50.

For most of my life, my mom and I were best friends. Most weekends in high school I spent shopping with her rather than going to parties and those "typical" extroverted things. Our relationship changed when I met my now-husband, but I believe if she had survived those things would have been fixed with time.

The last few years of her life, my mom and I got hooked on selling books and other media on Amazon.com. It all started when I tried my hand at reselling my college textbooks on Half.com. Then I learned about Amazon, and we were off. We had a book scanning device on a PDA, and would hit up thrift stores, garage sales, and the amazing bag sales at the library. It was so much fun. I'd list, she'd package, and we'd both scout for inventory, typically finished by a lunch out somewhere.

When she died, I was determined to keep the Amazon business going. I was stubborn and blew off the warnings of "close your store for awhile and get your affairs in order". No, I could do it. I had to, for her sake. Well between the chaos of me moving out within weeks of her death and getting married (my dad and I did not get along; time healed this and we have a good relationship now), going to school full-time, doing work study, and a field experience, I failed and I was kicked off of Amazon by October. Did you know that once you're kicked off Amazon, you're kicked off for life? Trust me, I've tried multiple times, unsuccessfully, to get back on. Alas, I was forced to temporarily quit book selling. I finished college, got a job, moved, bought a house, etc, etc, but never did give up that "thrill of the find" mentality.

Last summer, I started again, selling on eBay as well as doing consignment sales. I am hooked again, and have learned to only take on what I can handle.  This time I will be successful in the long haul. Every time I go to a garage sale or thrift, I still think of my mom. I wish she had lived to see these changes in technology, like the barcode scanner that's on my Droid, or the 4g internet which allows me to check completeds on eBay in instants while still in the store. .

Since I was in high school, I've fantasized about one day opening a brick-and-mortar thrift store. Well my dream of opening a store is still alive. I think I'd call it "Diane's Thrift Store"...