Monday, June 23, 2014

Stuff

I know "stuff" does not make a person.  I realize that what you own or have owned is not what inherently makes you YOU.   But as a "stuff" person I know how I treasure my things.  How I surround myself with things I like to look at, with things that have meaning to me in a personal way.  I know not everyone shares that love.  The "simplify" trend across blog land and the Internet has been huge.  But my "stuff" brings me joy and peace so I do not intend to simplify that out of my world.

Today, I was having lunch with the Irishman on the front porch and was audience to a house across the street being prepped to sell.  When we moved to our home all those years ago we knew the lady who lived there.  Her name was Betty and she was saucy and always on the go.  Many years ago she moved to Florida with her son and we sadly had no further contact with her.  Her house has stayed unoccupied all those years.  Well sadly we have heard neighborhood word that she has passed on.  And now there is an ongoing buzz across the road of cleaning out her "stuff".  Today, this made me so very sad.  So sad to think that she has been reduced to her memories and the things she held onto and surrounded herself with.  That mean nothing to those doing the "cleaning".  It has been dumpstered and now sits on the curb in boxes and piles.  During our lunch many cars stopped by picking through her memories and carting them off.  Which I guess is good that they go on with other people but just really made my heart hurt to watch them dig through all her things without ever knowing who she was and what they meant to her.  And seeing them dig through to cart them off for profit not joy and love.  The Irishman called them vultures which I think is apt. 

So I came inside to my couch and my thoughts and my words.  Trying to feel better about it.  Trying to remind myself it is in fact only  stuff.  But it was HER stuff.(This is also why Estate sales are hard for me)  There was a person attached to it all who is no longer.  And for that I am sad.  So I send out a little peace into the world to all the Bettys who brought me smiles and have moved on.  Take time to touch base with your own Bettys!