Excerpt from Daily Cures, Wisdom for Healthy Aging by Connie Mason Michaelis
I have the opportunity to speak to baby boomers and older adults a lot. The subject that is most awkward for audiences is getting rid of stuff. I see eyes dart to the floor, husbands and wives punching each other and glaring, sometimes I hear nervous giggles and sighs. It immediately causes a sense of guilt, dread, and sometimes friction. I’ve been sensitized to this topic because I meet people who are imprisoned by their stuff, and they are unable to move forward in life. We spend the first half of our lives acquiring things and the second half disposing of it. For many, material things give them a sense of self-worth. Collections, inherited family treasures, antiques, books, memorabilia, years of stored documents and, yes, the love letters can become a burden instead of a blessing.
And here’s the thing, our kids don’t want it! That’s why so many boomers still have big homes with bedrooms full of their married children’s belongings. They don’t even want their own old stuff! We boomers were collectors, our children are minimalists, buying things that have a life span of five years. Companies like Target and Ikea are banking on the fact that today’s buyers really don’t want 100-year-old furniture. I still use my original dishes from my bridal registration. My kids get fun dishes from Walmart when the fancy hits them. I encourage people every day to start the process of downsizing. Take joy in giving your treasures to loved ones or to strangers who need them. If you are married, it is unfair to leave the burden of downsizing to the spouse that is left behind. The rewards are a sense of freedom and clarity. How good does it feel to clean your junk drawer out? Just multiply that by 1000! Perhaps there is someone in your life that needs to read this article; feel free to share it!
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