Where did all the stuff come from?

I am on a mission to "declutter" the house this summer.  I thought I was pretty organized but the last few years have kept me busy on other fronts.  I have gone back to school and been involved in summer classes since 2007.  My hip gave out about 3 years ago making traveling up and down stairs difficult to say nothing of hauling around boxes and stuff.  Two years ago I was recovering from hip surgery and then last year we were involved in a family wedding. 

In addition, the last 12 years have brought a lot of transitions as all 3 of our children have graduated from high school and continued through college and then on through to grad school.  Thankfully we have had a place for them to store their belongings.  Sometimes their stay at home was just long enough to unpack and repack for the next move.

A year ago my brothers and I were able to assist mom and dad in their move off the farm.  Well, actually, they were not a part of the operation since neither of them was able to participate whether physically or mentally.  The process was actually quite a lot of work although rewarding with a large dumpster nearby.  :)
Nevertheless, a huge household sale took place and we watched as the small to large items were auctioned off to the public.  Some items were astonishing and brought far more than we imagined.  Other items were disappointingly sold for far less than we thought.  All this gave me new insight into the value of preparing for the future.

My mother spent some time with us this spring and it was wonderfully freeing to have "her permission" to let go of things.  She gave me courage to let go of knick knacks from my grandparents (which had not seen the light of day on my watch).  She gave me freedom to let go of items she had given me like dishes she received as wedding presents. 

So, I began the process starting in any random corner that appealed to me on a given day.  My method is simple.  Sort into piles:  Keep and Use  OR DISCARD.  So, my goal is to make the latter pile much larger and that pile gets carried immediately to the car where I can take it to our local charity organization.  There have been some nice items of value that I hope they can use to bring income into the store. 

Sometimes it is easy to make the decisions but often I find my memory bank standing in the way.  Often flooded with the memories, I find it difficult to "detach" and let go of the item.  However, once it is in the car and on its way to the Et Cetera Shop, I find my spirits lift and fly.  How can you get rid of your wedding dress?  Old baby clothes from your children?  Toys from my own childhood? 

I have been listening to a CD set (from the library) entitled "Too Much Stuff!"  and the author addresses the fact that many or most of us are burdened down  by stuff overload.  His advice is simple:  either use it or put it in a place of honor OR get rid of it.  He suggests not looking back or forward but pragmatically  keeping only those things of use to you and your family.  Things that are stored should be stored practically for use in its season.

My brother spoke some wise, true words when he said that life is like a river.  You cannot dam it up without causing severe "backlog".  It simply gets too heavy to "hold back" the dam and it can break and cause havoc.  How true those words.  Perhaps the items I sort through are symbolic of the memories and experiences of the past and that is what makes the sorting through items so difficult as I "let go" and look into the future. 

Travel lightly is good advice whether through life or on a trip to China.  (Don't look for antiques at my house).