Keep the Stuff

I rearranged my race medals this past weekend. I packed away some more. I barely considered getting rid of or donating any. I am just not at that place. Yes, these things take up space, but at this point, they still bring me joy, so I am keeping them.

I used to want to be a minimalist. No longer. I don't want a ton of stuff. I don't want to be a hoarder, but I also want to hold onto things that bring me joy. Yes, I have a lot of race medals, but looking at them lets me relive some of the fun I had in racing. The medals themselves are cheap, but the memories they hold are irreplaceable. 

Yes, I have a few things around the house I don't use regularly, like the bundt pan, and the doughnut pan, and the mini muffin tin. I could get rid of them, but when I use them, they are really helpful, and I have fun. I'm keeping them.

I have far more than a capsule wardrobe, and I'm working on going through it, but you know what? Some of those rarely worn things I do wear, and/or I treasure. For now, I'm keeping them.

Slowly but surely, I have gotten rid of some things, things that no longer bring me joy or pleasure or use. Cookbooks I've outgrown. Papers I thought were important, but don't seem to be (and I need to get rid of a lot more in this category). While I don't want to be a maximalist, I do want to maximize what I have.

If you are a minimalist and that works for you, go for it. But if you, like me, have felt the pressure, and even shame of not minimizing, keep the stuff. Enjoy the stuff. Thank God for the stuff. Yes, it's stuff that will go away, but might as well savor it while God gives it to us.

P.S. I know not everyone has space to keep all the stuff. An alternative is to photograph the stuff and then let it go. I also have a lot of pictures, and thanks to digital storage, I can keep them. I don't go back to look at them often, but when I do, I enjoy it. Worst case scenario, I need more storage to house all my photos, but that is easier to come by than physical space most times....