BlossomBelly

Moving again.  It is perhaps the only time that I actually go through all the clutter and accumulated belongings and start clearing it all away.  Although it’s exhausting both physically and mentally, I love going through it all and disposing of so many unneeded objects.  How did I get all this stuff and who needs it anyway?  I’ve decided that only the things we use regularly, or the things we look at and really love, will be moved to the next house.

In the past I’ve gotten in some big trouble for things I’ve gotten rid of before a move.  My daughter still has not forgiven me for parting with the wedding dress I wore when I married her father.  It’s not that the departed items had no meaning to me, just that I felt I no longer needed to carry them all with me into a new future.

So I face this again.  The decision of what to keep and of what to let go.  Rustling through the backs of closets where I find delightful memories, home made wonders, or on occasion, mildewed food.   Don’t worry, the old food gets tossed.  But finally this brings me to the point of this wordy blog.   What items are the true treasures in our homes?

Now I don’t mean to ask about the emotional treasures.  Of course our love and gratitude are the true riches of our lives (blah blah).  But some of those material items are treasures too.  And moving day is when I come face to face with the reality of which items go into those boxes marked “special”.   The fancy teapot bought at Open Studios?  The Annie Glass pears from a good friend?  The Limoge apple from my mom?  These are loved items for sure.  They are carefully boxed with bubble wrap and will be placed in a perfect spot in our new home.  But I bet you know what I realize every time I move.  What the true treasures really are.

It’s the home movies of my children, playing and growing, chronicling their birthdays, their recitals, their spontaneous songs of joy.  My son’s hat collection from when he wouldn’t leave the house without the perfect fedora.  The note from my daughter to the tooth fairy explaining that she lost her tooth at school and she’d please like some money left under her pillow anyway.  How I love to look through these again!

I feel very blessed to have these reminders of so many beautiful moments with my kids.  I don’t mind one bit dragging these boxes from house to house and finding a spot to store them.   So even though I might say that we don’t need so many ‘things’ in our lives and to toss anything you don’t really require …. I’ll also say to keep everything your heart treasures.   When your children are grown you will be so grateful to discover the contents of those boxes again.