Belongings

Three generations of women find themselves at a crossroads following the death of the family's matriarch. Reeling from the loss of her grandmother, 14-year-old Katy is determined to keep her grandmother's spirit alive and promises that her home and belongings will remain intact. The promise flies in the face of her family's plans for an estate sale and draws the battle lines between Katy and her mother, aunt and great-aunt. The family's failure to confront the issues of death and grief create a storm of pent-up emotion on estate sale day. Overnight, Katy and her sister Jimmie call an all-out war—reversing preparations for the sale and moving everything back into the house. Katy's battle hits its peak with a "house-jacking" as Katy and Jimmie barricade themselves inside Grandma's house with threats to stay unless the sale is called off. Aunt Ella steps in to help Katy understand that the only belongings that are important are those she can hold inside her head and heart. The important belongings are not those of physical attachment, but the emotional bonds that stay with us when those we love are gone. For Katy, understanding this distinction is profound and healing.