To Keep or Not to Keep

I usually insist Hubby is the only pack rat in this house, but since we began packing, I am forced to admit to myself that I, too, am a bit of a saver of junk. Our reasons are quite different. My other half saves things he thinks have value. I save for sentimental reasons. We took our fine china and stem ware out of the cabinets and began to pack it. As I began to slip each dish into the foam packing envelopes, the chips on certain items -dinner plates, a soup bowl, and on a few glasses of the stemware my parents gave me - haunted me. There was also a chip on the spout of a Wedgewood pitcher my favorite aunt gave me. The damage has been there for years, but sentimental me could not simply trash the items. I never use them, but can’t bare to part with them. I still remember the joy of unwrapping them when they were new.

When you move, you pay by weight, so do I finally let go of the past, or do I pay to move stuff that has no use? I shared my dilemma with my cousin. He told me to either dump the worthless stuff or buy another plot to take it with me. It put everything in prospective. The broken items went into trash.

My adult children have been helping us pack. My daughter-in-law also forced me to confront my pack rat tendencies. Yesterday, as we were weeding through the bottom of my China cabinet, we discovered hidden treasures that have value on eBay but no buyers. As I stared at these sentimental treasures that I have no use for she said, “Either you get rid of them now or I donate them to charity when we move you into the Assisted Living in ten years.”

I hope it is more than ten years, but boy did that motivate me to add things to the rummage pile like the hand made beaded flowers that are ugly as sin but my mother had made for me or the chaffing dishes I haven’t used in 30 years.

Moving day is in less than two weeks. Hopefully, in a month from now I will be able to post again regularly. At least unpacking will be easier than packing. Everything should have a purpose. Then again, maybe Hubby found a way to sneak into one of the cartons the old 33’s or some of the old cameras he still insists have value. I have truly sworn off moving anything that has no value or use - except my size 8 dresses.