TRASH HEAP

Fort Worth has bulk trash curb side pick up for large items once a month.  I never cease to be amazed at what I see on the side of the street.  One man's junk IS another man's treasure.



I have been through the process of discarding when moving 3 times in a very short period  and down sizing each time I moved.  There are times now when I break out in a cold sweat thinking about all I had to either give away or chunk.  It was a true to life representation of what was happening in my life as treasures I had stored up were stripped away.



#1 Daughter is moving.  The good news is closer to me--a mile away.  The bad news is a colicky baby is limiting her ability to even begin packing.  She could never possibly move without me in the big middle of it anyway.  Four moves in college, post college & post marriage moves, a move to Pennsylvania, a move back to Texas, a move from a rental to their own home, and now across town.  The girl has moved more in her short 31 years than I have in a lifetime.  She hired me as her moving coordinator, packer, unpacker, and general laborer each and every time.  I must do a pretty good job since once again, she is looking to me for some help. 

This week I began the first steps of packing boxes.  My own packing philosophy is if you do not use it--do not take it.  I am a minimalist--she takes after the gene pool from the other side--they are keepers.  Everything is a treasure.  I try to be respectful of her desire to keep her stuff, but we have already butted heads over a vase which once contained flowers from a florist. She does not grow flowers, she does not buy flowers, she never arranges flowers, but she thought she needed that vase.   After it was all over, I felt bad since Dr. Daddy was home and took my side.  I wonder how he will feel when I start going through his stuff?

I am reminded of the book The Velveteen Rabbit.  A well loved toy who gives his all for the boy he loves, the rabbit was discarded to be destroyed after a long time of always being by the boy's side.  He was worn, and not very pretty anymore, and a new rabbit of much greater beauty could replace him.  No matter all those years of being by the boy's side, his usefulness was over.  He cries from heartbreak and- surprise- his tears work magic for him and he comes to life as a real bunny at the end of the tale.  




All to say, be careful what you throw on the trash heap, discard and abandon. The choice of what is junk and what is treasure is to not be taken lightly. Perhaps daughter is right to want to keep her "stuff".  She sees value in each and every possession and honors that value and usefulness by holding on to her treasures.  Perhaps we could all learn a lesson concerning our eagerness to discard anything without careful thought.  The beauty of the velveteen rabbit was in his worn nape, torn arm, and missing eye--after all those years of being by the side of the boy and loving him well.   He was no ugly toy, but a well loved toy whose true beauty only shone after all those years of serving.  


21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 6:21

1 comment

  1. What a great post! The Velveteen Rabbit is a favorite....my husband is like your daughter, doesn't throw anything away....I also have found great things that had been discarded in peoples trash. Blessings

    ReplyDelete

Your comments keep my writing and often cause me to think. A written form of a hug or a pat on the back and an occasional slap into reality---I treasure them all!