Important Stuff 7/22/21

In January 2021, my mother passed away due to COVID. When my siblings and I came together to clean out her home, I thought about all the little trinkets, doll collection, pictures, and other items she had collected over the years. I know many of the items came from her eight children and many grandchildren, providing them importance for holding on to them. As we went through her items, I realized what was important for her to keep did not hold the same importance to us. We readily gave to the local Goodwill, Salvation Army or St. Vincent DePaul organizations. I began thinking about what “stuff” I have kept over the years that I had thought were important but have been in boxes or on shelves for years. When I came home and began looking through my own home, I realized I collect a lot of “stuff”. It was time for me to re-evaluate why I have held on to things. What I have found is many of the things I thought were important to keep, had passed their season. The emotional attachment I had placed on them had lost its value. I have since started organizing my stuff and letting go of the things that are not family antiques, important pictures, have specific sentimental purposes, or are needed for our everyday living. In a way I am decluttering, but more than that I am letting go of “stuff”. In the end, the real importance to our lives is not measured in the “stuff” we collect, but by the acts of love and care we give to others and receive from others. My mother did not have money but collected “stuff”. In the end her faith, love and support she gave and received from others was most important, as there are memories of touch, laughter, and human kindness that cannot be given away. What “stuff” are you holding on to? Cheryl Welch, PhD, LPC, RN, CCTP

Cheryl Welch, PfD, LPC, RN, CCTP C