INSPIRATION
Letting go of your treasures!
When I told people we’re going to live in Italy one of the first questions after “Why?” is…
“But what are you going to do with all your stuff”
The very simple answer is give it all away.
Although I’d love to think of all my treasures as irreplaceable in reality I have lived without them for years at a time. Within our renovating life my “stuff” has spent more time in boxes than on display.
So what is a treasure?
How can you disassociate memories from things?
My desk is just a simple wooden piece of furniture.
Rescued from a council sidewalk collection and sanded and polished up.
What gives it a special place is all in the timing.
It was in Aaron’s room, I sat at it to write after he died. I sat many hours staring at nothing and waiting for each Autumn leaf to drift from the tree outside his window.
The desk is just a desk, it’s the meaning I give that creates it as special.
So I slowly separate the meaning from my treasures.
The happy chair, the chest of drawers painted just the right shade of blue, the bassinet he never slept in, the pooh bear quilt my Mum made and my collection of things that speak of Aaron gets smaller, concentrated to just one box.
I think that’s fine, one box for each child.
On rainy days my daughter likes me to get hers down from the wardrobe and we sit together on the bed surrounded by all my treasures of her life to date.
Then we carefully pack them away till next time, whenever that may be.
Always in my heart
He came into our lives on Easter Sunday and left gently on Easter Monday
and the gang x
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We retired and just got rid of everything. We left it out on the front lawn before we sold our house to repurpose it and everyone just picked everything up. It feels so good to see it all being reused.
Family photos, and jewellery belonging to my mum and grandma. Everything else can go!
Yes very true I’d always want to have my family mementos with me.
Hello Lisa,
I was actually keen to sell everything that we have, and keep only treasured photos and books. But the family wanted to keep nearly everything!!! So far we have sold most of our big bedroom furniture, lounge room furniture and most of the kids furniture. We still have chest of draws, bunk beds and a few other items in a shipping container. I am not sure that I would ever want to stop travelling or live in a house ever again 🙂
So looking forward to following your journey to Italy.
Cheers
Lisa
The practice of Fengshui will endorse your move as the right path forward to clean up the clutter in your life. Stagnant energy is bad. This is the reason why Chinese do spring cleaning before Chinese New Year. Out with the old, In with the new!
How wonderful Joyce, the right path forward. Can’t wait to start the new journey.
ciao lisa
I know what you mean. I have SO much ‘stuff’ it’s hard to imagine parting with it. And like you most of mine is packed away. It’s that I know I can look at it IF I want to that is the comfort. We talk about moving to Italy, too. That means NEW stuff. And new memories.
I look forward to your adventure, too. Just like Frances Mayes.
Ciao – a presto!
Hi Jeannette, I have to admit to loving my stuff. I get this from my Mum who is a real magpie. There are just some things that I never want to part with even if I know they are with my family. I am photographing many things so at least I can take a visual trip with them all when I feel the need.
It seems there are lots of people talking about moving to Italy, that Frances Mayes has a lot to answer for. She inspired us the first time, although it was far removed from the romance of the movie, life in Italy has the essence of all that. We are going back for the simple life and chance to travel.
Might see you on our terrace one day?? Maybe we’ll even invite Frances….
ciao for now
lisa
I have one box with my sons’ life in it, and I get what you say about the meaning we invest in things. I have the bar of soap I used in his bath the morning he died, and I kept it because one of his hairs was stuck to it. Now the hair is gone but I still have the soap! Crazy.
I’m So looking forward to this adventure, Lisa!
Hi Toni, I so love your heart! It’s like I never have to explain anything to you, you know all the scars and joys. Your little Levi is so special and I don’t think you’re crazy, just a Mum who loves her little boy. One box is not much for a life, yet it is the very essence of him and so special.
can’t wait to share the adventures
lisa xxx