Stuff, Stuff, and More Stuff....or Stuff, Stuff & Less Stuff....

In a reflective mood tonight -- thoughts rolling through -- decided to put them here.

I know several people right now addressing the issue of stuff. Houses full of stuff. Garages full of stuff. Storage units full of stuff. Lots and lots of stuff.

If you know me, you know that I currently don't have much stuff. Although right now I actually have more stuff than I've had in the recent past. When I walked away from my old life, I left a house full of stuff. A lot of it was mine. I took a small portion of my stuff and crammed it into a tiny living space. Then, apparently I didn't really need that stuff either, because my apartment had a flood and pretty much all of that stuff had to be thrown away. Soooo, I basically had no stuff.  (see Lessons From a Deep Clean )

Building on the few items I was able to save, I now have the aforementioned small amount of stuff. I found that I actually prefer it this way. 

Back to the reason for my thinking about stuff. Recently a wildfire came within a mile or so of my house. Close enough to make me nervous. After watching the fire for a while, I came home to get organized should I need to leave. Realized that other than the cat, a few sentimental items, my camera & photos - the rest was just stuff that could be replaced. Wouldn't be happy about it, and really wouldn't want to go through that again, but it really is just stuff.

What is important? Is it the actual stuff? Or is it the memories we attach to the stuff? What I have learned is that we can keep the memories and feelings associated without having to keep the actual stuff.

One example would be my Grandma Dodson's sewing machine. It was the only thing I wanted from her house because it represented her. She made draperies for her brother's business, and I spent many hours playing in her sewing room while she worked. She also made a lot of my clothes. Basically, if you gave her an idea, a measuring tape and some fabric, she could make just about anything. 

Sadly I received none of that skill set. I tried sewing a few times over the years, and found it a lot more frustrating than fun. Did not enjoy it. Yet I received her sewing machine and held on to it for years thinking I would use it. 

When I left my old life, I also made the decision to let go of the machine and donated it to a good cause. I had held on to the machine for years thinking I was honoring her memory. It sat there collecting dust. And I felt guilty for not using it. When I finally let it go, I had a realization - what better way to honor memory than to pass it along to someone who would love it, enjoy using it and feel the heart and soul she had put in it.

So I guess my point to all this rambling is this - let's not just become curators of the past. Let's keep and use the stuff we love, and be OK with letting go of the stuff that no longer fits in our life, but may be perfect in someone else's life to create fun new memories.

I love the stuff I have right now. It fits who I am today. And when I don't love it anymore, I can pass it along to the next person who will.

The memories will always be available for me to enjoy.....