New versus old

Over the weekend, Joe and I went over items we will need and want for our new household together. In the process, I started thinking about furniture I can live without, clothes I can get rid of in attempt to scale down my never-ending closet and the items I can let go of where we already have duplicates. I’ve come to the realization about how sentimental I am about most of my possessions. I guess this is part of the reason I find change so hard – I’m so sentimental.

When people marry after college or when they are much younger I think they probably each have much less. (Joe and I both have our own houses full of “stuff”, albeit mismatched stuff, but we probably both need to scale down.) Registering for items means getting new things together that maybe you’ve never had. Of course there’s plenty that I don’t have and a lot of the stuff I do have is hand-me-downs or just not ideal. For instance, I love my dishes and there’s nothing wrong with them, I just don’t have a complete set. I guess its fine for me to have six of everything because I’m just one person but ideally, I’m told, we need twelve. That makes sense. Don’t get me wrong, thinking about the new stuff is super exciting. I just know that realistically it’s silly to keep the old stuff, too, when and where it doesn’t make sense.

I was talking to a colleague today who is kind of going through the same thing. Over the weekend she moved into a much bigger, much nicer house. She should be ecstatic about the move but she said that even though it’s just across town she found herself teary-eyed and weepy last night when she went by to see her neighbor one last time before officially moving. She told me that she started sobbing in this woman’s kitchen and she said to me as a way of explaining, “I don’t like change.” My friend told me that she’s very sentimental about her house. It was the house where her children have all come home to from the hospital. There are so many memories. Even though she may like new stuff it also makes her sad to think about giving up the old. When my friend starting explaining to me her feelings, I knew she was on to something. That’s exactly how I feel.

I like my stuff. Maybe it’s not new or ideal but for the most part I like it. Giving it away (or at least some of it) may not be easy but I know it’s the right thing to do. I want Joe and me to have a fresh start with lots of new memories to come. Nevermind, getting rid of the clutter and mismatches will be so much nicer for the both of us. And Breanne says that the excitement of getting new stuff together will help ease the pain of letting go of the old. Sometimes I just wish I weren’t so sentimental…but that’s probably a good thing. It’s probably why I feel so heartfelt about my friendships and the people and places I love. I guess it’s just what makes me who I am.