MOTHER The Wind Is Blowing

Mother is a documentary that chronicles the final six years of my mother's life, her struggle with hoarding, and my grieving process. " - Leon Syfrit

- Leon Syfrit

My mother and I moved to Wilmington, Delaware, following my father's death in January 1978. We were originally from Wilmington, although we spent the preceding 18 months in Del Ray, Florida, where my father worked as the general manager of a country club. In February of 1978, my mother and I moved into a 1011 N. Clayton Street house. The home was owned by a long-time family friend and functioned as a halfway house for people dealing with substance abuse issues. My mother acted as the live-in house manager and, in time, purchased the property and created a ministry called Christ the Bridge Inc. The Ministry was active and vibrant, providing housing and counseling for a broad array of clients and was a refuge for many people.

In 2004, my mother's parents moved into the Ministry. Her parents were divorced and had not lived under the same roof for decades, which created quite an interesting dynamic. Several years later, my grandfather died, followed by my grandmother. The house had always been cluttered, but it started to get dirty. The property, which had not been maintained, began to fall apart. The roof and ceiling over one of the guest bedrooms caved in. The window fixtures were rotted, and several windows were on the brink of falling out of the house.

My mother's possessions piled up, making it impossible to clean the house. My mother became increasingly isolated, and she refused help as time passed.