Wow -- anyone over the age of 60 who doesn't resonate with this yet soon will; I'd bet the ranch on that. Letting go of the past is like peeling an onion, when there are still parts of the onion you might want to keep for your present soup.
Julia, thank you so much for sharing my piece with your readers. Like you, I have lived mostly on my own, and I'm proud of all I have done. But if I hold on to too much baggage I can't move, and I still have things I want to do.
When my Mother passed away I joined my four siblings as we went through the house. All these interesting items left behind with no story to tell. But there had to be a reason why they remained and were saved. I came home and realized my office is a museum tribute to my life — all these items that ignite my creativity in one way or another. And someday my daughters will be tasked with cleaning it out. They won’t have to wonder. I’ve recorded short 2 to 5 minute videos explaining why I keep these pieces of driftwood, or each hat in my collection, or each beer growler, not to mention photos and that big, loud Swiss cowbell. Eventually Hiking Incognito will transform into the forum for the videos as they tell my story. ‘til then they will continue to fuel my creative juices every time I sit down to write. They are more than just things
Love the combination of honesty and humor, Julia; thank you.
We sold our home in the Hudson Valley last fall because we are mostly living in Spain these days, and it seemed no longer like the right thing to hold onto it. We got rid of (donated, gave away, threw out) the majority of our stuff as part of the process, and it was both difficult and liberating....
Cheryl Strayed has written about our ghost ships—parallel lives of the choices we didn’t make, the lives we wished for that never happened. This is beautiful ❤️💕
Julia, you made me laugh out loud when you described your wedding dress ‘oh for crying out loud!’ 😂 I can hear the exasperation! I so appreciate your willingness to be ruthlessly honest with yourself in the service of growth but without cruelty (although that might’ve been present earlier on as I know it was in mine).
My collection of things is a reflection of all my hopes that never came to fruition. To let them go should be freeing but it is just finally allowing the truth of my life to be what it was,painful.
Well, this made me laugh. I don't think I've ever heard of anyone collecting wedding dresses!
It's a process all that sifting and sorting and trying to decide what to keep and what to throw out. Mostly, I've procrastinated on this. But I have started because there might be a move in my near future. Starting counts for something, right?
Something I have a lot of in my closet is pants. I might have to write about that sometime.
Wow -- anyone over the age of 60 who doesn't resonate with this yet soon will; I'd bet the ranch on that. Letting go of the past is like peeling an onion, when there are still parts of the onion you might want to keep for your present soup.
Julia, thank you so much for sharing my piece with your readers. Like you, I have lived mostly on my own, and I'm proud of all I have done. But if I hold on to too much baggage I can't move, and I still have things I want to do.
Boy me too. While I am sorry about some of the things I need to release, I am not sorry for the potential ahead!
When my Mother passed away I joined my four siblings as we went through the house. All these interesting items left behind with no story to tell. But there had to be a reason why they remained and were saved. I came home and realized my office is a museum tribute to my life — all these items that ignite my creativity in one way or another. And someday my daughters will be tasked with cleaning it out. They won’t have to wonder. I’ve recorded short 2 to 5 minute videos explaining why I keep these pieces of driftwood, or each hat in my collection, or each beer growler, not to mention photos and that big, loud Swiss cowbell. Eventually Hiking Incognito will transform into the forum for the videos as they tell my story. ‘til then they will continue to fuel my creative juices every time I sit down to write. They are more than just things
Love the combination of honesty and humor, Julia; thank you.
We sold our home in the Hudson Valley last fall because we are mostly living in Spain these days, and it seemed no longer like the right thing to hold onto it. We got rid of (donated, gave away, threw out) the majority of our stuff as part of the process, and it was both difficult and liberating....
the more we collect, the more we get to mourn things. Also, the more we get to honor our feelings about them, and focus on what truly matters.
Beautifully said. And yes, I do feel like we’re focusing more on every day on what truly matters.
Cheryl Strayed has written about our ghost ships—parallel lives of the choices we didn’t make, the lives we wished for that never happened. This is beautiful ❤️💕
https://therumpus.net/2011/04/21/dear-sugar-the-rumpus-advice-column-71-the-ghost-ship-that-didnt-carry-us/
Julia, you made me laugh out loud when you described your wedding dress ‘oh for crying out loud!’ 😂 I can hear the exasperation! I so appreciate your willingness to be ruthlessly honest with yourself in the service of growth but without cruelty (although that might’ve been present earlier on as I know it was in mine).
My collection of things is a reflection of all my hopes that never came to fruition. To let them go should be freeing but it is just finally allowing the truth of my life to be what it was,painful.
Hi Julia,
Well, this made me laugh. I don't think I've ever heard of anyone collecting wedding dresses!
It's a process all that sifting and sorting and trying to decide what to keep and what to throw out. Mostly, I've procrastinated on this. But I have started because there might be a move in my near future. Starting counts for something, right?
Something I have a lot of in my closet is pants. I might have to write about that sometime.
Thank you for an enjoyable read.