Let it Go

Between my comments here and my much older sisters posts on Facebook, the world knows we are moving. It’s just across town, but the campaign isn’t over and the struggle continues. But I felt I did need to weigh in on one remark that seems to keep reoccurring. I must state, there is a big difference between “hoarding” and “keeping treasures”.  In fact, the Encarta Dictionary defines hoard as ‘to collect and store, often secretly, large amounts of things such as food or money for future use.’ So one can clearly see, the treasures that I have saved have no value, nor did I ever expect them to have a future use. Big difference. Big.
 

Sister and I have read old letters that she mailed to me from college with advice about boys. We found the toy telephones that Daddy would call us and say Santa Claus had been there and to come quick! We read though my mother’s journal and learned “It didn’t rain today.” We found ribbons from corsages, purple mimeographed programs that had our names listed in blurry print. I kept gift wrap from special presents, and even sniffed the glossy white paper I remembered had in it a bottle of “Jungle Gardenia” perfume from my 17-year-old boyfriend.  After almost four decades in a boot box under my bed in my parent’s house, the aroma was more Jungle and less Gardenia.

The purging/lightening/simplifying has been in full force with many bittersweet memories. It feels good to let go. I’ve had many ask if I had lots of travel souvenirs to part with in the downsize. Maybe they expect me to have Ming vases, Deft China, and original art from around the world. I’ve never been a great shopper (my family would disagree, based on the number of boxes they have toted) but I tend to buy books and save maps and papers and piles of miscellaneous that no one wants to look at. I guess I always operated as if I might not ever get to return, so I held on the tiny bits of memories. 

I feel a bit sage as I reflect on my travels, especially when I have the pleasure of taking a trip with new travelers. The desire to make purchases to remember every part of a trip, the t-shirts, ball caps, the refrigerator magnets, the beautiful prints. I love the excitement of the find they experience. I will admit that I’m very happy that we are past Hard Rock Café T-Shirts and that the need to mark my miles with trinkets is declining. This puts the pressure on me to make my memories last with my mind’s eye and more lines in my journal. I like to buy things that can be used up such as soaps, spices and oils. I still take lots of pictures, but they don’t get printed or stay in envelopes with the negatives like years gone by.

Traveling makes us keeper of treasures, even if they are memories. And there is nothing wrong with hoarding memories… especially if you use them again.