Savoring My Treasures

Recently I did a thorough cleaning…of my closets, my cupboards, my storage sheds…ALL OF IT. Moving day was fast approaching and I was determined to downsize my collection of everything under the sun.

The process gave me the opportunity to take a little stroll down memory lane. Oh, the “stuff” I have accumulated, and oh, how precious some of it is to me. 

My son once told me that I was a “sentimental hoarder”. Hmmm…perhaps he is right. I do tend to cling to things, especially those things that bring sweet memories to mind when I see them.

I still have my children’s baby blankets and a few favorite baby outfits, old school report cards and certificates of achievement, uniforms from a long line of athletic teams, trophies, and favorite toys from days gone by.

I hold on dearly to the things my sweet grandmother passed down to me, and the treasures I have from my father. I hold valuable the things my mother has given me through the years, some relics from her own childhood.

Does that make me a hoarder? Perhaps. Or maybe I am just a mama who loves her children so deeply and treasures all the moments from the past that will never come again. And perhaps I am a daughter and a granddaughter who wants to hold on to a snippet of days gone by with those who I can no longer physically see.

When it comes to the belongings of my children, could it be that I have felt the urge to hang on to the “things” while I had to let go of my children and allow them to create their own lives without me at the helm?

Maybe these treasures are my way of keeping my heart filled with the wonders of their childhood and the memories of their laughter and adventurous spirits.

Is it sentimental fodder, or typical mama behavior? I am not sure. All I am sure of is that it has been such a joy to take this walk down memory lane as I have sorted and packed and tried to create order in my chaos.

It has been an opportunity for me to dig deep and let go of a few things as well. I have experienced a real lesson in what I truly consider to be treasures and have learned that letting go is acceptable at this stage of my life.

I have also learned that my children, for the most part, are far less sentimental than me. As I lovingly packed their treasures into boxes that I could pass on to them, they were not that thrilled to be on the receiving end.  

What I considered treasure, they consider junk. But I just smile and laugh because I know that as they raise their own children, those things they think of as junk now will take on a new meaning and significance in their lives.

I can’t wait to see how tightly they hold on to the momentos of their children’s childhoods. I hope God grants me the years to be present on the day they have to sort, pack up, and pass on. 

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21 ESV)

God’s word tells us that our treasures are stored in heaven, not on earth.  I look forward to those heavenly treasures with great anticipation. I know they are going to be better than I could ever imagine.

But while I wait, I sure don’t mind holding some earthly objects dear to my heart and treasuring the memories they bring.

May God bless each of us mamas as we let go, pack up, and reminisce.  May He fill our hearts with joy at the memories and hope for the tomorrows.