It’s been the summer of “stuff” and there’s no end in sight. My family is on the move and they have a lot of stuff that goes a long with them.
My son moved home for the summer to save for college so we dealt with his stuff first. For a 20-something he has lots of stuff: books, musical instruments, art supplies and a kiln. It was sorted, stored with family, and donated to the thrift store.
My sister-in-law, who has Alzheimer’s, moved into a long-term care home this summer and so began the arduous process of selling and clearing out her home. Pouring over years of beautiful items collected as an artist and a teacher, it was overwhelming and a wake-up call.
My niece did an amazing job of donating, selling, gifting, throwing out and storing her mother’s things. It was a painful and emotional job, a whole life of possessions distributed in just a few weeks. The family took very little, because where would we put her things when our own homes are already full?
We simply have too much stuff. That’s the dilemma shaping our culture right now and it’s happening in your neighbourhood. Our thrift stores are overflowing. They wouldn’t take my old furniture I desperately wanted to go to a good home because they simply don’t have room to store it. How about that jet printer that works well? No one wants that except for the recycling centre.
Baby boomers are downsizing or moving to retirement homes and they are creating a plethora of unwanted stuff. Their children don’t want their family heirlooms or oversized furniture as they live in small homes with no place to put anything.
My son has moved back into the city. He doesn’t want to take all of his stuff, so we will hold onto it. The next tide of stuff is on its way. At the end of the month, we have two young adults moving home temporarily to save money to buy their own home. Distributing their stuff is a big job and preparations are in full swing.
It’s no wonder South Delta has some of the best stocked thrift stores in the Lower Mainland. With an affluent, aging population and families on the move, people are happy to generously donate towards a good cause. I’m a frequent flyer, but I always ask if my stuff is something they can sell.
As I studied my sister-in-law’s furniture, houseplants, paintings, family keepsakes, clothing and kitchenware, I asked myself: What do all our belongings mean after we are gone and who will want them? Perhaps they will hold memories for my children, but we must assume no one can or will absorb them, except for the very finest of our possessions.
Now I look at my own stuff in a whole new light. Enjoy what you have, donate what you don’t need and have no expectations that anyone will cherish it the way you do.
Ingrid Abbott is a freelance writer and broadcaster who tries to stay away from thrift stores because there’s inevitably always something she wants.
