lammers1980
Member
It is interesting how over time you learn things about your ancesters that had been previously unkown to you. Such is the case with my family. Recently my grandmother had died and my father has been travelling to Montreal on the weekends to clean up her old house to prepare it for the real estate market. My father and I were discussing this and he mentioned to me that it always bothered him that his father had never been able to throw things out, even after they were broken and had no apparent use. As a result, the house had accumulated a fair amount of "stuff" over the past 60 years or so.
My dad said that most likely there was some kind of hoarding compulsion on my grandfather's part. When he died, however, leaving my grandmother a widow and with my aunt caring for her (as she also lived in town), things did not improve. My aunt is known for being a highly anxious person, who has an even harder time throwing things out than my grandfather did.
Now I never really knew my grandfather much, as he died when I was young. I was surprised because I always heard that he was a very stern and authoritarian type person. Perhaps though, beneath his harsh exterior he too was an anxious soul like myself and my aunt. I also think this may be anectodal evidence that OCD may run in families, as it appears to be present in three consecutive generations in my family. Oddly enough though, my dad seems to be my polar opposite in that he is very calm and cool.
Strange how your own family history is revealed in time...
My dad said that most likely there was some kind of hoarding compulsion on my grandfather's part. When he died, however, leaving my grandmother a widow and with my aunt caring for her (as she also lived in town), things did not improve. My aunt is known for being a highly anxious person, who has an even harder time throwing things out than my grandfather did.
Now I never really knew my grandfather much, as he died when I was young. I was surprised because I always heard that he was a very stern and authoritarian type person. Perhaps though, beneath his harsh exterior he too was an anxious soul like myself and my aunt. I also think this may be anectodal evidence that OCD may run in families, as it appears to be present in three consecutive generations in my family. Oddly enough though, my dad seems to be my polar opposite in that he is very calm and cool.
Strange how your own family history is revealed in time...
