Spring cleaning, spring forward

As I continue to clean out my closets and take stock of my possessions, I can't help but wonder how much of what I own is stuff I really need versus stuff I can live without. In college, the answer was simpler. Living in a 10x10 dorm room, I took the essentials - clothing, computer, bedding and bath, books and food. Everything else was a splurge item - TV, stereo, mini-fridge - a nice-to-have. Over the years, from apartment to apartment, I've amassed quite a collection of THINGS. Neatly organized in drawers, tucked away on shelves or hung on the wall, these things all have an intrinsic value beyond the monetary. But can I live without them? What would I grab if I had one chance to save something in a fire? The answer is my collection of journals (started at age 8) and sadly, everything else would perish in the flames.

And yet, I think the beauty and utility of things is that they can be replaced. They can be bought, traded and recycled. The common value they have is the purpose we assign to them, and the desirability we place on the item (how much of a nice-to-have it would be). Some things, we say, are irreplaceable because they are heirlooms, souvenirs and mementos of people and times past. We cherish these things because they prompt us to remember and to feel connected to life experiences. And when things are lost, destroyed or discarded, the memory we attach to the item stays intact. Its value remains unchanged. And to every place we go and whatever stage of life we're in, we're able to carry these memories...so even if our surroundings are unfamiliar and we are void of these material things, we can still feel like the richest person to have never owned a thing.