In preparation for our first garage sale (this weekend, remember!), we are talking and thinking a lot about "stuff" at our house. An American family of four accumulates quite a bit of stuff. And, we really don't get to take it all with us.
Some of it is easy - we simply won't need winter things where we are going. And, for the kids, they won't fit into anything we have now in two years, so storing it isn't a question. I have come to really appreciate these simple decisions. Some of it is more complicated. How many stuffed animals a person needs is answered quite differently depending on if you are the momma or the child. Questions of mothering ethics abound. A few months into the school year, we had head lice (arrrgh - a story for another time). One of the recommended "treatments" is to put all soft furnishings (stuffed animals, for example) into airtight plastic bags. The kids each have a favorite animal they sleep with so we washed those in the really, really, really hot water and bagged up the rest. The bags went into the basement and the animals have now enjoyed a rather extended stay in basement quarantine. Of course what I want to do, is sneak them all out of the house. But is this the right thing to do? In the middle of this quandry, I overhear Elia telling her favored stuffy that soon she won't have to sleep all by herself because all her stuffy friends will soon be released. Hmmm.
We are talking a lot at our house about "things we really, really, really love". That is the criteria that we are trying to communicate. Some things we really love, but we aren't going to take them with us - we have untold number of special sticks, rocks, and other items from nature that we all collect on our adventures. They are in the car, they are in our house, they are in our garden, they are in our rooms, they are everywhere. Truly. By sheer quantity, it is apparent that we really love these things. Either that or we're all a little obsessive/compulsive and will soon qualify for the hoarder television show that a friend recently told me about. I have no doubt that our apartment in Vietnam will quickly collect nature objects from our new adventures. But what about the ones we have now? I am thinking one major installation in the garden somewhere. Andy Goldsworthy (http://www.rwc.uc.edu/artcomm/web/w2005_2006/maria_Goldsworthy/TEST/index.html) will be our inspiration. It's a nice idea. If the reality is not a last minute dump in the woods, I'll post a picture.
Last week, I had the kids go through their drawers. How many shirts does a kid need? Unless it can be worn for school, the kids were asked to narrow down their clothing to their five favorite. Five favorite short sleeve shirts, five favorite shorts, etc. It was pretty painless. But then I look at my closet and Andrew's closet. There certainly are more than five things there. Is it fair to ask the kids to winnow if we are not? They will have school uniforms and, therefore, will not need as many clothes, is the answer I am already formulating to the question which will certainly be asked.
We are all having to look at stuff and our relationship to it. I imagine this to be a conversation that will continue throughout these next couple of years.
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