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That's Life
Taking Care of "Stuff"
 One of the many rewards in life is to see your children make good decisions. Let me tell you about Erick, my youngest son, and his wife Sara. A couple of years ago they moved from Texas to Knoxville, Tennessee because of a job change. This seemed to be a dream place to them. They settled in quickly and started dreaming dreams of a first home in the area. All too soon job down-sizing occurred and they were combing the job market again. Life changed and they are going back to Texas to start their new jobs.
As Erick and Sara prepared for the move, they made some discoveries. They concluded that “stuff” is not all it’s cracked up to be! As they decided what goes with them, they remembered how much pleasure they had in buying some of their things that they don’t even use anymore. The solution? A garage sale! Fortunately, as a couple, they agreed with an old 19th century proverbial phrase that says less is more. For anyone fixated on material things this may be a crazy thought. But for a young couple wanting a home of their own someday, they feel downsizing right now is more important than having a spacious apartment with lots of stuff.
Stuff is nice. We work for it. It’s our toys in life. It’s things we have inherited and heirlooms we want to pass on to our children. Stuff makes life comfortable. Our role is to learn to prioritize.
Phillip Gulley writes a comical story in his book, Front Porch Tales that tells of his house full of excess things that he and his wife can’t part with because “they are still too good to discard.” Among their treasures he lists three kitchen tables, two desks, five oscillating fans, a typing table that is no longer used, and three sets of dishes (one is Corelle Ware, a gift from long ago) Then Mr. Gulley gets serious as he writes, “As fun as it is to have all my stuff, it’s also a real drag, because I’m so busy tending my stuff that my soul gets dust covered."
If you Google “stuff” you will find lots of books on organizing, such as Clutter Control: Putting Your Home On A Diet and Clutter’s Last Stand: Time to De-Junk Your Life. It’s funny when you think about it. Our things cost us money, time and space. The question is” Is it worth the price we pay?
As for Erick and Sara, I’m happy they are setting priorities at a young age. They have made a choice and little by little over the last few months have put aside entertainment for quality conversation time with each other. They enjoy walks in parks and outings with their dog, Niki. Church has become a priority. They have determined their souls won’t become dust covered. Erick made the comment, “We’re moving back to Texas, but we are different people than when we left.” They have decided that stuff is fun when the rest of life is in order.
Where is your "stuff" in your line up of life? It's something worth thinking about. Make sure it is not at the top of your list with relationships and other important things somewhere below.
"To live is so startling it leaves little time for anything else."
~Emily Dickinson~
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