As the first item was sold (yarn/knitting sticks) my heart was filled with emotions. Sadness at the thought that I will never knit again…just kidding, try as I might I cannot be one of those crafty knitting people. But I was sad because of the memory that went with it. That is when I realized how I/people become attached to items. It isn’t the item necessarily, it is the memory it brings back. The thought of, I bought this when, this was my ­_____, this was a gift from _____, I used this for _____….and many other reasons keep us emotionally involved. But sometimes these emotions can create a weight. I am learning to let go of these emotions by reminding myself it is the memory I cherish not the item.

We have been emptying our house of items we don’t need. As I carried boxes out to the garage I wondered how we managed to collect so much. My husband and I are both frugal people and therefore buy very little. However in 4 years of marriage and 2.5 years of living in this home we have been blessed with many items. I have felt very thankful for being blessed with many things but more grateful for the people involved with the memory of the items.

It is people that matter! After 3 days of sitting in heat selling our possessions it felt freeing to replace my stuff with memories of people. I got to talk with mothers, widows, grandparents, dads, kids and hear a piece of their life story. Many conversations surprised me as they shared a vulnerable part of their life. One man solidified the need that I must let go of the emotions items bring and cherish the memory. I would have never guessed this was his story as he looked around at the tables. He asked about our moving sign and I could hear a bit of relief as I told him we were selling not because of finance needs. We carried on a friendly conversation and slowly as we talked I was able to piece together his story.

He is a father of 2 elementary age children and was a home owner for over 15 years, but now he is divorced and living out of his car. It began when he was laid off from a job he made 6 figures from. It has taken him a year to get help from the government. When he asked for food for the first time you could tell it was a difficult moment, especially since they turned him down. “It is all just so regulated they don’t look at people anymore.” While this man talked he never once complained about how unfair his life was. You could hear how he has learned what is valuable and encouraged us to keep going in this lifestyle pursuit.

As much as I dislike garage sales I would do it again, just to hear more people’s stories.