Monday June 6 2016  I AM LEARNING

If you have read my blog very long you have heard me repeat often that “I AM LEARNING”.  And believe me that is so true.  I guess that is a good thing.  You might think that with me being this old I wouldn’t need to learn that much more.   But, for me at least, that is not the case.

I never thought it would be easy to downsize 43 years (plus pre-wed days) of hidden treasures.  It seems every box I open presents its own present, its own endowment to me, tied up in ribbons of sentiment. Between pictures, and dolls, and wall hangings, and our dead parent’s clothing, every box speaks loud and clear of times and places I haven’t thought about in years.  And so why do I keep these things?  I have asked that question over and over.

Well, today I was reading the book, “DOWNSIZING THE FAMILY HOME” by Marni Jameson and there were some very interesting insights as to different reasons we keep such unneeded keepsakes.  And we must ask ourselves what purpose does it have in our lives for the present time?  If you ask different people, you will get many different answers.  Once you figure out why you kept it, you allow your recently found treasure to fulfill that need and then separate from it by either, donating it, giving it away, selling it, or on the rare occasion, keeping it.  I asked my daughter-in-law how it was that she was able to part with almost everything.  I spoke about her answer a few days ago when I said you look at the item, release it, and then remember the people and events that created the memory.  Then you keep the memory of the fun time you had with the people, and not things.

This book reiterated that same premise.  So, I have begun asking myself, why am I keeping this?  And I think I found the answer.  I have kept so many things so that when I looked at them again I would remember the moment in time when I made the memory.  I wanted the thing to remind me of the good time I had with the people.  So now that I know why I kept all this stuff, I figure that opening the box and reliving that memory one more time, that “thing” had done what its purpose was to do and it could now be released.  It will have no meaning to future generations.  It was my memory, my good time.

Now my garage sale pile is growing larger more quickly.  Some of what I kept I am actually going back to reclaim it for the garage sale.  It is the memory I cherish, not the item. 

Except for my time constraint tonight I would share more explicit memories but I have had quite a long day and it is already getting close to my bed time.  I just thought you would like to know that I am making headway.  It is quite a journey and a great big money maker for a lot of enterprises.  As I read in the book, there are 8,000 people a day turning 65 until 2030.  That is a lot of old folks coming along all at once thanks to the end of World War II.  I am one of those early baby boomers.  So, as you can imagine, there is currently a lot of downsizing taking place. 

Dave and I have agreed to do our own downsizing so our children will not have to do it for us.  That will be our late-life gift to them instead of buying them any more gifts.  That way they will have less to downsize later.  See how thoughtful we are?  With our daughter turning 40, I realize all too soon they will need to do their own downsizing.  If I could do it over again I would not do the collecting or buying.  Every time you decide to buy something and take it to live at your house first think about what I just wrote!

THINK BEFORE YOU BUY

By Kathleen Martens

June 6, 2016

Think of all the money you save

When you don’t purchase the newest rave.

That little bauble on the shelf,

Is it really meant for self?

Think ahead about tomorrow

And all the headaches and the sorrows,

When someday you must compromise,

About what is to be downsized.

Just don’t bring unnecessary in,

Treat it as if it is a sin.

Instead, think about what you saved

And your wallet did not cave.

And when you purchase think ahead,

There is a shelf life, then it’s dead.

Perform its funeral harsh and sweet

As its cycle is complete.

And at the end of life’s road

You will have a much lighter load.

That will be your just reward,

Because JUNK you did not hoard!

Thank You God that You promised to meet our NEEDS.

Lord, thank You for opening my eyes to so much I still have to learn.

Thank You Lord for helping me release things.

Thank You God for your loving kindness over me.

Thank You too for my bed.

GOOD NIGHT ONE AND ALL.  GOD BLESS YOU!

Philippians 4:19

“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus”