Collections

Are you a collector of something?

I've never been much of a collector myself.  Unless, of course, you count my laundry.  I collect plenty of that!

I usually get bored with what I'm collecting and then move on to something else.   I have a lot of the beginnings of collections but not a complete set of anything.  Even my china, after being married for 12 years, is nowhere near being complete.  

I guess I have accumulated quite a bit of FiestaWare, but I use those as my every day dishes.   I have most of it in white, which is pretty rare now, my favorite red and some green.   I pick up a new piece here and there and if I see an vintage piece that matches my stuff and is reasonably priced, I usually try to get it. 

I also like to collect some cut glassware and I am particularly fond of an old piece.    It's actually a pretty inexpensive thing to collect.  I just don't have the room for much more of it.  One of my good friends likes to buy me this as gifts and I always think of her when I use those pieces.

I've realized that whatever I collect, I need it to be useful.   You will most likely not find me collecting figurines of some sort.  They are usually beautiful and lovely and I enjoy getting them as gifts, but it's not something I would actively collect.

I guess the thought of someone having to clean out my house, full of something like owl figurines, when I die is enough to scare me out of collecting too much of anything.   Plus, I'm not fond of clutter.  I wouldn't want a collection to become the focal point of my home.


So, all of this talk about collections gets me thinking.  Which is normally dangerous in itself.

Did you ever notice how some people collect bad stuff?

I mean, they collect the bad experiences that happen in their life and even in the lives of others.   Then they clutter up their own life with all this bad stuff.  Actually, they even carry it around with them and it certainly becomes the focal point in their life.   

It's like if they let go of their collection of bad stuff something even worse might happen.   They become used to seeing this collection of bad all around them and they keep adding to it.    They are the ones, who when you share a fear about one thing or another, always have a bad story to tell you that relates.  I especially love this when it comes to my children.  For instance, I might express a concern about my child riding the bus and this person has about 5 or 6 terrible bus accident stories to tell me.  Um yeah, thanks for sharing.

They tell you the stories with the best of intentions but it really just seems to make them feel better. 

They are always quick to listen to the most wretched events of your life but not so interested in the amazing story of how you lost 10 pounds or how you just won $100 in the state lottery. 


Like the darkness that is afraid of the light.

Who knows what might happen if they just laid that collection down?  Let it go.  Let the light in.   It might be a whole new uncluttered life. 

It reminds me of a story I watched on one of those news shows of a woman who suffered from the mental illness, Hoarding.  She had so much stuff in her house she could barely move and it even covered her windows.  When her family finally intervened and came in to clean her house out, the sunshine actually came in through the windows for the first time in years.  

Can you imagine?   I can't even bear to have my blinds closed in my home.

I continued to watch as this woman just broke down when the light came through her windows.  It was so hard for her to let go of everything she'd collected.  But for the first time in years, she felt as if some weight had been lifted.  She felt free of all of this STUFF she had collected. 

Is there someone in your life that you could encourage today?  Just shine a little light on?   Maybe they just need a little help letting go of their stuff.