Mum's windowsill in her care home room holds her most treasured possessions, not that she knows they are, but I can talk to her about the memories behind them over and over ... and then they make her smile. Her walls are full of family photos, and we regularly go over and over who the people are with her when she asks, but she sees no one except for me, Alan and my brother, so she really is losing track if we talk about anyone else.
It makes me realise that not acquiring things, as we have purposefully done for the last few years, (apart from a few special things), has been a really good move. We don't need any souvenirs from our holidays apart from a few photographs, there are no fridge magnets or little jars of sand to remind us where we have been. Just the memories and some photos to jog those memories, in case they start to slip away in the future.
When we enter the world we come with nothing, and then immediately start acquiring things, at first via our parents and relatives, and then with great gusto and lots of relish when we are independent adults striking out for the first time.
Of course while I have donated most of my randomly acquired things and ornaments in a bid to declutter my life over the years, there are some still things in the 'memory box' that I have. It being a memory in it's own right as it was made for me by a blogging buddy when we moved onto our very first farm. I may even need to revisit that at some point and photograph the 'things' and just have them that way. We'll see in the run up to our move what will happen.
Of course I have lots of books, but even my book buying has almost ground to a standstill. I have paused my Amazon Prime membership. With no deliveries and little on Prime that I wanted to watch on television there didn't seem any point in supporting a huge company with a multi-multi billionaire at it's head.
Taking my life down to a simple level, and a much more satisfying stage seems to be such a good idea. One day I too might only need a windowsill to display my possessions.
This really made me think . You’re so right. My darling Aunt has just moved into a home , she has dementia, and her beautiful
ReplyDeleteHome is being packed away . All her lovely things she worked hard for just in boxes. Your post just sums the whole thing up
Perfectly. Have a lovely weekend. Jane
Yes, it was when we were packing up Mum's bungalow ready for us to renovate it ready for sale last year, that the penny first dropped for me. All the money that she had spent over the years on 'things' for them to just be given away or sent to the tip. It all seemed such a waste. 😟
DeleteYes, I will enjoy my things while I can, but very few of them will mean anything to anyone else except me. I took a whole load of ornaments down at Christmas and haven't missed them... time for them to go...
ReplyDeleteThat's a really good way to declutter, put things away and then see if you are happy without them. 🙂
DeleteThis is so true, and something that I find quite hard to face, we try to bind ourselves to the earth with objects but ultimately we all have to let go in the end.
ReplyDeleteAlison in Devon x
That is the perfect to describe it Alison. ❤️
DeleteI love that cartoon, so clever and true too.
ReplyDeleteIt is for us at the moment. 😄
DeleteI completely agree. We need so little for a lovely life. I have three ornaments. One bought by my husband and two inherited from my grandma. I treasure them. I may have a slight problem with plants though......😂
ReplyDeleteHaha, I think we all have something that really matters to us. I could happily give up my plants ... but not my books, well not for now anyway. 😀
DeleteWe got rid of a lot when we moved 7 years ago, but for me, it still feels that there's too much stuff and I think I'm going to spend time this year getting rid of more.
ReplyDeleteAs you say, items can be photographed and remembered without having to keep the actual thing. A lot of it is silly sentimentality, I have things that are difficult to get rid of because certain people got them for me. In a lot of cases they are no longer here or would be amazed to find they had bought it.
I really must get organised, I don't want to be lugging all this stuff through life.
Your post will inspire me to tackle more 🙂
We seem to have gone through our years together alternating between large and small properties. So it's felt like a continuing buying things, then selling things cycle. Hopefully this will be our last move and a chance to really simplify everything as this one is a small property. 😀
DeleteThere's a real freedom that comes with not owning much stuff. When I moved to New York City and into a 250-square-foot studio apartment, I got rid of almost everything. I've reacquired since then, but I was thinking this morning that if I had to make another international move (not that we're thinking about it), it wouldn't be hard. There's very little here I'd want to keep.
ReplyDeleteIt's a good feeling to 'travel light' isn't it. ❤️
DeleteI have now just started to purchase ebooks. It is pretty amazing how many my ereader will hold. I have also started if one clothing item comes in one must leave either by being donated or made into something else.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
I finally got my clothes down to a sensible level last year, now unless something really wears out I have no need to buy anything new. I just have an alternating winter and summer wardrobe. 😀
DeleteYou are right; we come with nothing and we leave with nothing. It's a good incentive to declutter even more of my stuff.
ReplyDeleteWhen it's broken down to this it puts everything into perspective doesn't it. 🙂
DeleteLike you Sue I continuously assess what I have and what I need. This includes information. It's starting to dawn on me that most social media is about buying something or buying into something. I feel i need to be more circumspect.
ReplyDeleteYes, I've noticed that more and more on social media just recently. It seems everyone wants to sell us something, and I'm just not interested. 🫤
DeleteMy husband's family all held onto possessions so tightly. I never understood it. The items would be foisted upon me with "its valuable!". My house was full of someone else's things. But the fact is, that stuff is just stuff, and once we are gone it will likely get donated, sold, or thrown away.
ReplyDeleteDoes that thought not make you think it's time to pass things on to other family members now, or maybe donate to a charity. You deserve to have just the things that are yours and that you truly love. 🤔
DeleteBesides our loved ones, I think most of us could fit our truly treasured possessions on a windowsill. Although, I'd have difficulty getting my cats to stay there ;)
ReplyDeleteHaha, our animals are worth so much more than any 'things' aren't they. ❤️
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