Saturday, September 13, 2008

Consumer Pressure Part V

My dear 84-year-young mom is cleaning out years of stuff to simplify life. I jokingly told her that if she left all that for me to sort through, I'd kill her (joking!). So, she is really hustling to get down to what she loves and what she uses, letting the rest go. It has been a hard journey for her. She has said she felt like she is letting her life go. There is some grieving.

I am challenged to remember that our stuff is not our life. Enjoying our stuff in life shared with others is wonderful, but it is not the stuff that gives life. Stuff gives you more to care about, more to clean, more to store, less to give to God's work (in time and money), often less time for others, often less time for who and what you love.

I say, if I have to dust it, sell it! OK, not quite, but sometimes I feel that way.

My mom wrote in a recent e-mail something like this...my advice to you is don't buy anything ever! I loved that! My mom teaches me many lessons and this is a big one. Go, Mom!

1 comment:

Mrs. Coral Kenagy said...

I absolutely loved reading this. This is something I wrestle with at least a dozen times a week... the desire to let stuff go or "pitch-and-ditch" as I call it. Yet, for the life of me I can't bring myself to meet even 50% of that goal.
What is it about stuff that is so debilitating? What does it say about me that quite often the stuff I want to throw away most belongs to my husband? **ha,ha,ha**