One of the things I have been trying to change in my life is my need to buy stuff. The reality is that I have too much stuff. I don't need more things. Going through my grandmother's things after she passed has made this more and more clear for me. It isn't even the first time we have gone through her things to get rid of stuff. She had a crazy collection of things that she kept "just in case." It was her objection to the "throw away" mentality that I liked. Why throw things away that could be used again? She was reusing things long before it was cool. Still, at a certain point not throwing it away overwhelms you and you live in the leftover space.
I know my grandmother would cringe at all the things we have thrown away during the process of reclaiming out garage, but I also know I don't want how I live to be defined by stuff.
The things we keep are her crafts that she lovingly took her time and talents and the items that have stories that go with them. That is what I want to preserve in her stuff. Precious memories and rich stories from our family.
In honor of my grandmother, my kids and I are focusing our Christmas on making memories instead of getting/giving stuff. I am not Black Friday shopping or even shopping Amazon lightning deals. We don't need more stuff in our lives.
I am not by any means a minimalist. I enjoy my large home and all kinds of excess. I don't want my life defined by how little I have any more than I want it defined by how much I have. It's still being defined by stuff. I want my life defined by who I am, most especially who I am in Jesus. How detached I am from my stuff should just be one characteristic in a person who loves God and people. When people go through my stuff when I am gone, I want memories attached to every single thing. Those memories, good or bad, should paint the picture of a person who loves God and people; Maybe a love of learning, travel, and fun as well.
