It is no wonder that people become quite comfortable where they are because packing up everything and moving to another place is a whole lot of work! And that's only half of it.Unpacking and trying to find the perfect place for everything, then realizing that even as a minimalist you have too much stuff, then parting with it in order to stick to your convictions...oh. my. goodness!
Press on we did though. It is nothing short of a miracle the way things have fallen into place. When you edit down the possibilities of what you really want, it makes it so much easier to achieve your goal.
Furniture was in and Karin knew immediately that she hated tile floors, so she needed some softness. Off to the carpet store we went, and left quickly with an amazing remnant that fit the bill perfectly! We picked up our young helper on the way home. With all the seats down, Jacob knew that he had better have on a seat belt in a moving car ~ 'safety first' ~ we could all hear it! Middle school boys come up with the most interesting solutions to their problems, don't they?!
Carpet in - now, time to unpack! Jacob even wondered how all of the stuff was going to fit!
One thing we realized this weekend is that it is very freeing to eliminate stuff. Even though we think that we don't acquire so many things, all those little trips to Old Time Pottery, Ikea, etc really do add up. Nani called them Tchokes (Cha ch keys)...little things we use to decorate or make collections out of. Sentimentality really makes these things add up!
I have become all about digital photography in this respect. Give me a good photo of whatever item I can't release, put that item in a 'save' box, and when you have not used it for a year - let it be someone else's blessing. Roger skipped the whole 'put it in a box' part.
He loved the History channel and watched so much of the War in Europe. He knew it inside and out. He used to shake his head in disbelief about the money we 'saved' him when purchasing our newest treasure. 'Stuff is not important' he would say. It is the memories you make, not the stuff you collect.
"Never saw a u-haul behind a hearse.'
Man - his sayings might have not been totally original, but they surely were true, and mostly timely for the activity involved. If you could have pulled a u-haul, he would not have needed one for "stuff."
So, this weekend has been mentally freeing as well, as we have moved a lot of our stuff. And we have recalled a lot of great memories. And we have laughed a lot. And we have been totally and completely exhausted.
But like Roger always said - "just be sure it is a good tired' -
Roger's Lesson: Keep the memories and not the stuff.
It's just that simple.
And we kept what was needed, safely stored treasures in bins, and enjoyed a whole lot of memories.
Life is good....and safe! And Roger would have enjoyed it at the end because that pot of coffee would have been brewing.
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