The Emotions of Stuff

Stuff….you know…all that “stuff” behind closet doors, in drawers, on shelves, or locked in the yard shed. It crept into our lives one step at a time. With each new stage we added belongings: dorm rooms, apartments, marriage, college graduation, move to Chicago suburbs, son born, first house, daughter born, second BIGGER house, parents’ passing, dismantling parents’ household, farm selling, children launching, children marrying, selling house, and moving to Denver.

Emotions…you know…those feelings that make us jump for joy, burst into tears, flip-flop of the stomach, and everything in between. With many items that we’re gleaning from our household, there are emotions.

I’ve had days! This week I peeked into a cupboard and thought, “What the heck? Why did we keep this?” If I see one more (fill in the blank), I’m going to scream. I couldn’t get it into the donation box fast enough. Or, in contrast, I opened the armoire with many colorful tablecloths and memories popped into mind. A feeling of sadness overcame me as I thought, “Doggone it. I miss those gatherings with our big dining room table surrounded with our children, extended family, friends, or neighbors.” Many delicious meals, beautiful place settings, rowdy games, captivating story-telling, and roaring laughter accompany memories associated with those tablecloths.

Admittedly, I ended up in a bit of a funk earlier this week. I think that the sifting and sorting caught up with me. I’ve downsized quite a few times these last 10 years so why was I feeling a bit crabby? Thankfully, my daughter took me to lunch yesterday, concluding with a walk together. As we chatted, it helped put my emotions into perspective. My take-away is this: I have decided that it is essential to embrace The Emotions of Stuff. It is part of the process of achieving our goal to live more simply and being liberated to roll away in a mobile lifestyle later this year, not impinged by the burden of stuff!

~ Diane