Material Things Are Only….

Three years ago I had two floods in my house. Unfortunately I did not know that the floods could bring black mold. By the time I knew I had black mold, my home was infested. By the time I was told I had to move out of my house, I was also faced with the fact I would lose everything or pay a fortune to get items sanitized. I wound up losing all my clothes and almost everything else I valued. I even lost my mother’s wedding gown. Of everything I lost, the greatest heartache came from losing my mother’s wedding dress!

After three years, the pain is still there but it is much better. The other night I told a resident at the Holiday Retirement Community where I live about my loss of my material possessions. My new friend wisely said, “Just remember material possessions are just that…material possessions!” Somehow that sentence put everything in a new perspective! They are just that –material possessions! They can cause you pain when they are no longer in your possession but they can not bring you warmth or tenderness. They cannot inspire you or tell you they love you. They cannot bring a light to your eyes or a laugh to your lips! They cannot give you a compliment or suggest an improvement in your way of doing a task. They can only be what they are…material possessions!

I know many people who have had a hard time downsizing because they had to sell or give away their material possessions. If you are facing getting rid of some or most of your material possessions, please realize what they are…only material possessions! They can not warm your heart like a lovely smile can and they cannot make you feel loved and cherished like a close relative or a dear friend. They are just what their name states–they are material possessions! So value what is important…the smiles, hugs, kisses, kind words of loved ones! Those are worth a lot more than material possessions!

Until next time I remain your loving friend Hope