I am writing in a room stacked with boxes as I prepare to move to a new house. This is my third move in five years. Hopefully, it will be the last for a long time. Moving is stressful - so many moving parts, decisions to make, and opinions to consider, especially when you move with a family.
One of the most challenging aspects of moving is the emotional journey of deciding what to do with all the stuff - things we have gathered over decades that no longer fit into our post-kids-at-school house and life. Letting go can be surprisingly hard. Sometimes, sentiment keeps us clinging to them, like the kids’ baby blankets. Other times, it’s what we paid for an item. A case in point: my bread machine. What was I thinking? When in my life was I ever going to bake bread daily? Then there are items we keep because of their perceived value, like books. As I write this, I’m looking at my old economic textbooks stacked neatly on the bookshelf - last read over thirty years ago and unlikely to be read again.
This process has been a timely reminder - right amid Black Friday and Christmas shopping – that we need to be mindful not just about acquiring things but also letting them go. When an item sits unused, it becomes a silent reproach, a reminder of a possibly poor decision. Should I donate it, sell it, or pass it on? Each choice feels like a small reckoning with the past – hence the stress.
Sifting through years of accumulated stuff and the emotions tied to them is what makes moving so difficult.
I now understand why one of my dearest friends is reluctant to acquire things. She’s moved many times in her life. Over the years, I have observed how mindful she is about buying what I would have considered necessities. I get it now!
This move has reminded me to be intentional about what I gather and equally mindful of what I give. Possessions are rarely as satisfying as we imagine and often more painful to let go of than we expect.
Increasingly, I want to live lightly, wisely, and unattached to possessions. I want to approach the pain of letting go as life inevitably shrinks without the distraction of unnecessary things. Yes, eventually, we leave this earth with nothing. But more importantly, I want my focus, care, and presence to be on the things that matter – and that is almost never the stuff.
Because in the end, living large is not about ownership – it’s about the people we surround ourselves with, the experiences we gather, and the places we explore. It’s about expansive thoughts, big hearts, and open arms.
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Kind regards,
Sunél