Today I moved the rest of my worldly possessions from my apartment to my friend’s basement where they will live during my Novitiate. As a result of the great purge & pack project, I took 12 carloads of rummage to my parish rummage sale. Today I moved 2 carloads of stuff to my friend’s basement. A great paring down, but still too much stuff. Or so I thought after lugging it out of my house, into my car, over to her house, up her steps, through her house, and down the steps to the basement. Uggh…. I had some help with the bigger items, but most of the smaller stuff I did myself. About half way through I thought … do I really need this stuff? The thing is, much of it is family stuff from when my mom died and we sold the family house. Family pictures, some of my grandmother’s dishes, etc … Plus my own life mementos … yearbooks, books, etc… Perhaps when the time comes to move it again, I will be moved to simplify even more by sheer laziness!!! (original post)
Tomorrow, I'm heading back to the same generous friend's house in Portland to sort through some of those belongings and bring a bit of it back to Seattle. Some may eventually end up in the basement of the CSJP house I'm in the process of moving to. Some will make it into my new room (mostly furniture). And most hopefully will find new homes.
I hadn't realized it was actually three years ago today until I looked back at the blog to quote an earlier me. I couldn't help but be reminded of one of my favorite Built to Spill songs, appropriately titled ... "Three Years Ago Today"
a little while later I was trying to rememberbut then it didn't seem quite as awful as it seemedcan't believe I won't admit that I have seen a sheepish wonderI see me three years ago today
I admit that I still have too much stuff. I've spent most of the day sorting through paper (which multiplies at an alarming rate) and continuing to transfer to contents of my room at groovy sister hq to my new room across the lake in Seattle. 2 boxes of books. A variety of nick nacks. Family pictures. Files galore. Craft supplies. Winter clothes. I've still got summer clothes and toiletries and the contents of my desk to take over. And a few more nick nacks. It's more than I need.
And then I remember me, three years ago today. And all the stuff waiting in my friend's basement. Most of which I don't need. Some of which I want. A fraction of what I used to own. And yet way too much stuff. Simplifying is tricky business.
4 comments:
Oh yes. And simplifying stuff gets even harder when there's a small daughter's toys and husband's stuff as well - no matter how much I want to fling, I can only chuck my stuff (and try to convince hoarder hubby that he really doesn't need it now!!).
Robyn
You're three years ahead of me! I'll be going through the same thing in a roughly a month before I take my discernment to the next level -- sorting through my stuff and deciding what I really need to keep, or what I should give away.
It will be especially hard to figure out what I'll do with my books (1500+ of them!).
I am now under the illusion I don't have much stuff (other than my library), but I know I'll be suprised when I actually will get to the sorting and packing.
I've been in the process of simplifying like Anonymous. It's amazing how much I gave away and how much it seems I still have. I found some great water-tight/air-tight stackable storage boxes, though, so when the time comes to put all of this into someone's basement for my own time in novitiate, it should be pretty neat and organized.
It's so neat reading about you being on the other side of it. What's it like looking on those things that you deemed so important that they needed to be kept now that you're past initial formation? Do they still seem special, or more of a burden? I wonder specifically about the family heirlooms and hand-me-downs that you mentioned, as those are the same things I'm having problems parting with.
Anyway, thanks for the interesting post.
Thanks for your comments!
Well, I went through my worldly belongings and took 4 boxes of clothes/nicknacks/electronic equipment to goodwill. Also sold a box of books at the book store.
But then there are the family pictures and momentos, mom's jewelry(that I'm holding onto until my niece's are older), photo albums, and the few christmas decorations that I kept that mean a lot to me. FOr the moment, I'm keeping that stuff and plan to transfer it to the basement of my new community house.
It's weird - the things still mean a lot to me, but in a way I suppose they do feel like a weight. Things I feel like I need to keep, even though it would be easier to not have them.
Simplicity IS a life long journey I think.
As for this trip, we managed to squeeze my futon and coffee table into my car which I will use to set up a nice prayer space in my new roomy room.
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