What defines us? Is it our possessions, our memories, or a combination of both? A few years ago one of my favorite bloggers, Emma Reddington from The Marion House Book did a series of posts about her 52 favorite possessions. I really enjoyed following along week to week getting a glimpse into her life and the stories behind each of her selections.
In my attempt to consume less I thought it would be a great exercise to sift through what I already own and determine what is it that makes those items special to me. So once a week for the next 52 weeks I’ll be sharing an object that I wouldn’t want to live without and why it’s special to me. I think we take what we have for granted sometimes and it’s a good exercise for us all to take a step back and appreciate the things that are right in front of us.
I’m not sure what will end up on the list but I think it will help put things into perspective for me. One of our goals in the coming year is to downsize into a smaller space and this will give me a great opportunity to figure out what would stay and why.
How beautiful! What a great idea to share meaningful objects. Thanks for sharing.
This is a fantastic idea, Tina. The main reason I was drawn to your blog (other than loving your recipes) was your mission to create a simpler existence and consume less. Thank you for the inspiration!
Thanks Katie,
I think it will be a great exercise for me to identify what is important and why. Thanks again for following along!
How memorable and charming a gift! I have memories made of wood, as well, and a lifelong love of the scent and sounds of a wood-working shop.
And that VERY jewelry is what I was looking for online yesterday, for a picture for a post about a woman who wore those heavy cluster earrings beneath her pageboy.
I’m marking you so that I can follow your journey through your beloved collections of things, and read your reasons and your rhyme to the choosing.
rachel
Hi Rachel,
The jewelry box is one of the only things I have to remember my dad besides photographs so it has a lot of sentimental value.
I’m so glad that you’ll be following along, I was concerned that this series wouldn’t be well received since it’s so different from what I usually post. Thanks for the encouragement!
I just started reading your blog and identified immediately with your mission. Several years ago, after losing my husband and deciding to sell,our home, I had three weeks to pack up/sift through/give away/store or ship up our entire lives to a one bedroom apartment in manhattan. It was eye opening, emotional and eventually, an incredible sense of freedom. In the end, after seeing our “stuff” walking out of the house during the “estate” sale, and then letting some time go by after those really difficult days, I now say that it’s only things, tangible evidence of our very happy and full life. But my memories and the person I am, can not be taken away and I can visit my “things” in my mind whenever I want. And there is much less dusting to do! Thank you for your blog. I think I’m going to enjoy taking the time to appreciate your thoughts.
Hi Marlene,
Thank you so much for sharing your story. I have had lots of time to put conscious thought into downsizing and I can’t imagine how emotional and challenging it would be to be put into a situation where my entire life would be turned upside down in an instant. The more I let go of things, I realize that I don’t need much around me as long as I have my family around me to create memories that will stay with me forever.