I'm sitting in my bedroom right now and realizing that, at the end of this week, this is probably the last time that matters that I'll be in my house. By the time I come back during Spring Break, the big ol' girl will be emptied out and, hopefully, put on the market. Craziness. Although this isn't the only house I lived in growing up, we've been here since 1996, making it the only house that really counts. And while I'm sad that things are changing, I'm not at the same time. I'm excited for my parents. I'm excited at the prospect of my growing up and really leaving the nest. I'm excited to get rid of stuff. Sometimes I feel so bogged down by stuff. We call it sentimental, we call it important, we call it memories, we call it nicknacks but it's all just clutter really. I'm not a minimalist by any means. There are certainly things that I'm keeping simply because they carry significant memories: my childhood books, my "puff the magic dragon" snow globe, my Scamper the Penguin VHS tape. But going through all of the bedrooms and storage closets is really making me think about what's important and what's not. My mom sent out an email that mentioned that it's good to have me here because I"m not sentimental, which is true, but doesn't really explain where I'm coming from. I have lots of people tell me that I'm not sentimental but, the truth is, I'm not sentimental about stuff. Some stuff matters. Some stuff doesn't. But what really matters are the memories and the emotions and the experiences. All of the stuff, that's just a representation of what really matters. So I think that it's okay to keep some of the little nicknacks that remind us of the memories but I think that it's even more important to remember what the nicknacks represent. I believe that we take the memories with us when we die, or, at the very least, we leave them as our legacy. The stuff...it molds. It's sold at garage sales. It disappears in a move. It doesn't matter.
Unfortunately for me, my mom and I are not quite of the same wave length which means lots...and lots...and lots of BOXES! Let the fun begin (:
I'm glad you are there to help her! I'm not sentimental about stuff either, but every once and awhile I come across something that makes me tear up I can't bear to part with. You're right, though, it's the memories the item holds and not the item itself.
ReplyDeleteAlthough, I won't be sad if I never watch Scamper again in my life. . .
Don't lie. I know you l.o.v.e.d. every second of Scamper! It's not only fun but educational! And suggested for very young children to adults. (According to the back of the box hahahaha) You're a good sister to put up with my weird movie habits.
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