I am a pack rat. So is my dear husband. My kids – not quite so much, but they haven’t lived as long. But this packing my kids up for their move across the country has changed my thinking about all of the “stuff” we’ve got buried in boxes in the basement. When was the last time I looked at my mug collection? I mean seriously! Why am I keeping umpteen zillion coffee mugs? Truth is, I’ve had a few favorites over the years (used mainly for tea – I only recently started to drink coffee) and always use those same ones. My favorites have changed, so why keep the old ones?

Now of course, some of this pack-ratted-ness has come in handy for my boys. It has saved them from having to buy dishes, silverware, a Foreman Grill, a coffee pot, a tea kettle, pans, bowls, (did I mention coffee mugs), glasses, and all kinds of Tupperware that I don’t know why I was saving. Who honestly puts their ketchup and mustard or ice cream in containers other than what they came in? Why did I buy these things?

Sending them off with stacks of boxes is helping shed some of the clutter from our house. And that’s a good thing. And the rest? I’m making boxes for the donation center, so if you shop at Salvation Army, you might find some of my coffee mugs!

But this is also helping me realize what little value there is in “stuff.” We can’t take it with us when we die, so why do we hang onto it if we’re not using it? My grandma used to say, “if you haven’t used it in a year, get rid of it.” I’m not sure I quite agree with Grandma, but she did have a point. Too often, I have been unable to just throw it away, so I pack it in a box and put it someplace where I forget it exists. Then when I find it, I realize I didn’t really need to keep it after all.

I’m determined to go through each room one by one and part with the no-longer-needed-or-desired items. Some are worth keeping and passing down, but I daresay most of what we save will end up in someone else’s trash heap someday. I’d rather save them (probably my kids) the trouble.

I suppose even having your kids move out can have a silver lining. But I’m still going to miss them!