Stuff.. lots of stuff. My house is bursting with stuff. My stuff, my kids stuff. Keep sakes and clutter. Our whole lives we spend acquiring stuff. Our success is measured in part by how much stuff we own. New stuff, antique stuff, good stuff and stuff to jog our memory. In all my years I have never seen a u-haul following a hearse. So what happens to all this stuff we leave behind? Most of my stuff is ordinary. Nothing remarkable or valuable. But almost everything I own contains a memory.
Before I get too excited, I should find out what the stuff is worth. Not how much an appraiser says it's worth - what someone will pay me. I will probably be surprised at what my "priceless" antiques are worth.
The ultimate decision of what to do with any of these belongings is mine.
I am seeing how much work and stress is involved in this cleaning out process and I would like to make my exit easier on the ones left behind.
What I am trying to say (and obviously not very well) I am NOT talking about getting rid of my stuff. I am talking about the burden of what we leave behind is for our children .. or family.. how hard it is for me to do the right thing.. what is the right thing? we spend our life gathering things and in the end it means nothing but work for those left behind.
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Happy Birthday to my middle son Gary!
3 comments:
MSN:
...What we leave behind defines our legacy...and permits others to enjoy that which we found important in OUR lives.
I didn't consider it a burden when I had to go through Mom's stuff to see what to save..,
Much of it (furniture) I gave to friends and to our church, as a way of thanking those who knew my Mom.
The personal items I kept, and will hopefully be able to pass forward to others to see exactly what real people mean to each of us, and how much we can learn from them...and learn about ourselves.
Excellent post.
Go to utube - George Carlin - Stuff, he will give you an insite of what to do.
Be sure and tell" my boy Gary " Happy Birthday! He shares the same B'day with my Grandson, Connnor, who is 2 yrs old....
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