When someone passes away, the family left behind get the sad job of clearing out all their possessions. It may be less work if the deceased has a living spouse or children who retain the residence, but if the person lived alone, the enormity of the task is overwhelming.
It's even worse if your loved one was a pack rat. My maternal grandmother saved all sorts of stuff, and she hoarded those plastic containers that margarine comes in. In another incident I heard about, the woman who passed could not resist dish liquid on sale. She bought it every time it was a good price, whether she needed it or not. When she died unexpectedly, she had enough dish liquid in her home for several years.
My husband has a problem with throwing things away if there might be a possibility that he might be able to use the item eventually. Like twenty years in the future. He just recently threw out a pair of sneakers he wore in college. He graduated in 1996. He finally conceded that they were no longer "good shoes" and that the pain in his shins was probably from running in shoes that had zero cushioning and zero support.
I've never been a hoarder. I'm ruthless with throwing things out. If it turns out that I need something that got tossed, I can always go get another one, but that happens so rarely that it isn't worth it to keep things. I don't save Christmas cards or letters. I do have pictures from the pre-digital era, but I went through them a few years ago, removed them from bulky albums and put them into photo boxes, which take up a lot less space. At the same time, I threw out doubles, fuzzy or unflattering shots, and most pictures of scenery. We have thousands of digital pictures, but they are burned to disk and I can print just the ones I need if someone wants one or I need one for a scrapbooking project.
The only clothing items I keep for sentimental reasons are my wedding dress, my band jacket from high school, and a sundress my mom made me when I was a child. When I clear out the outgrown baby clothes and pass them on, I'll probably only keep a few items.
I don't collect anything. It's just stuff to clutter up my house and collect dust, and while I hopefully won't die for a long time, it's more junk for my family to deal with when I am no longer here.
We're a nation of consumers. Why do we need so much stuff? Where on earth are we supposed to put all this stuff that no one else wants? Should we put it *not* on earth and send it shooting out into space? Earth could become a planet with rings, only the rings would be orbiting trash. Convenience is nice, and luxury is nice, but I've decided to economize, simplify, and think twice before tossing impulse items into my cart at Target. Do I need it? Or do I just want it?
Looking around my house right now, the first five things I see are: 1) my couch and chair in the living room. Needed? Yes, because we are civilized and I don't much fancy sitting on the floor. But while the set we have is quality, it's not top of the line, and it didn't cost ten thousand dollars. 2) Coffee Table. Needed? Not really. Most of the time it ends up being a parking space for toy trucks. It was a gift from a family member, so it stays, but I don't plan on putting one in every room when we move. 3) infant carseat. Needed? Yes. No explanation needed. 4) TV. Needed? Not really. It's nice to have, but we don't have a set in every room, we don't watch a lot of it, and we don't even have cable. *gasp* 5)pile of Fisher Price plastic cars. Needed? No, he'd probably be happy playing with an empty box. However, all kids have toys and we don't want to be the mean parents on the block that make our kids play with tin cans and empty paper towel rolls. The difference is that we practice moderation. We will never have so many toys that they take over the house, like some people I know, and I prefer toys that spark imagination, like the pirate hat currently lying on the floor, or arts and crafts supplies.
I'm not saying we should ignore our increasingly tech savvy world. I have a cell phone. I use it. A lot. I also plan on getting an iPod, but the way I see it, it means I can store or find new homes for my CD's. And at at least ten bucks a pop, all my current CDs would have paid for the iPod outright. With much less storage space. I like Clorox wipes because they are fast and easy, I use disposable diapers because I'm not inclined to wash nappies, and I like shoes. We just don't have to have the newest, biggest and best of everything. Perhaps we're behind the times, but it isn't like we don't have indoor plumbing.
I like the way one of my uncle's looks at it. He said he didn't need to have a lot of mementos to remember his mother. Pictures are nice, but the best way to remember something is in your head. It takes up less space and it doesn't cost a thing.
It's even worse if your loved one was a pack rat. My maternal grandmother saved all sorts of stuff, and she hoarded those plastic containers that margarine comes in. In another incident I heard about, the woman who passed could not resist dish liquid on sale. She bought it every time it was a good price, whether she needed it or not. When she died unexpectedly, she had enough dish liquid in her home for several years.
My husband has a problem with throwing things away if there might be a possibility that he might be able to use the item eventually. Like twenty years in the future. He just recently threw out a pair of sneakers he wore in college. He graduated in 1996. He finally conceded that they were no longer "good shoes" and that the pain in his shins was probably from running in shoes that had zero cushioning and zero support.
I've never been a hoarder. I'm ruthless with throwing things out. If it turns out that I need something that got tossed, I can always go get another one, but that happens so rarely that it isn't worth it to keep things. I don't save Christmas cards or letters. I do have pictures from the pre-digital era, but I went through them a few years ago, removed them from bulky albums and put them into photo boxes, which take up a lot less space. At the same time, I threw out doubles, fuzzy or unflattering shots, and most pictures of scenery. We have thousands of digital pictures, but they are burned to disk and I can print just the ones I need if someone wants one or I need one for a scrapbooking project.
The only clothing items I keep for sentimental reasons are my wedding dress, my band jacket from high school, and a sundress my mom made me when I was a child. When I clear out the outgrown baby clothes and pass them on, I'll probably only keep a few items.
I don't collect anything. It's just stuff to clutter up my house and collect dust, and while I hopefully won't die for a long time, it's more junk for my family to deal with when I am no longer here.
We're a nation of consumers. Why do we need so much stuff? Where on earth are we supposed to put all this stuff that no one else wants? Should we put it *not* on earth and send it shooting out into space? Earth could become a planet with rings, only the rings would be orbiting trash. Convenience is nice, and luxury is nice, but I've decided to economize, simplify, and think twice before tossing impulse items into my cart at Target. Do I need it? Or do I just want it?
Looking around my house right now, the first five things I see are: 1) my couch and chair in the living room. Needed? Yes, because we are civilized and I don't much fancy sitting on the floor. But while the set we have is quality, it's not top of the line, and it didn't cost ten thousand dollars. 2) Coffee Table. Needed? Not really. Most of the time it ends up being a parking space for toy trucks. It was a gift from a family member, so it stays, but I don't plan on putting one in every room when we move. 3) infant carseat. Needed? Yes. No explanation needed. 4) TV. Needed? Not really. It's nice to have, but we don't have a set in every room, we don't watch a lot of it, and we don't even have cable. *gasp* 5)pile of Fisher Price plastic cars. Needed? No, he'd probably be happy playing with an empty box. However, all kids have toys and we don't want to be the mean parents on the block that make our kids play with tin cans and empty paper towel rolls. The difference is that we practice moderation. We will never have so many toys that they take over the house, like some people I know, and I prefer toys that spark imagination, like the pirate hat currently lying on the floor, or arts and crafts supplies.
I'm not saying we should ignore our increasingly tech savvy world. I have a cell phone. I use it. A lot. I also plan on getting an iPod, but the way I see it, it means I can store or find new homes for my CD's. And at at least ten bucks a pop, all my current CDs would have paid for the iPod outright. With much less storage space. I like Clorox wipes because they are fast and easy, I use disposable diapers because I'm not inclined to wash nappies, and I like shoes. We just don't have to have the newest, biggest and best of everything. Perhaps we're behind the times, but it isn't like we don't have indoor plumbing.
I like the way one of my uncle's looks at it. He said he didn't need to have a lot of mementos to remember his mother. Pictures are nice, but the best way to remember something is in your head. It takes up less space and it doesn't cost a thing.
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