Looking Out Into the Great Beyond
How could we accumulate so much in just a few years? I asked myself this as I was surrounded by boxes, and choices.
What should I give up? I wore this during our anniversary, and this during that party, and this was given to me by a favorite friend, and that by a favorite boss. And the baby? What does baby need? Hubby… I wonder how many shoes he will bring (my Imelda man)…? And C’s violin, C must absolutely have her violin. And her lyre! I must not forget her lyre.
But what does one do when she has to pack her family’s life in just 6 boxes?
As you may now know through past posts, we moved across the Pacific, a wait that lasted half a decade, and that we moved everything – our lives, and our futures – because of it, and we were oh so excited. But again, my question those fateful last weeks of packing: What does one do when she has to pack her family’s life in just 6 boxes?
It was not easy.
It was not hard.
But it started hard, when we thought of what must go. We did a soft garage sale, bringing out the good stuff, with the better stuff still hidden. This went on for weeks, with sales up and then down, and voila, 10 percent of our stuff was gone. Only 10 percent! Panic mode kicked in a week before our flight. That was when typhoon Sendong happened so we traveled to and from ABS-CBN Foundation to deliver most of our clothes and beddings and toys. Friends then took pity on us and indulged us with some purchases – our double door ref, television sets, cookware, some knick knacks. Our vehicle we foisted on hubby’s parents (which was perfect, because we wanted the flexibility of using our car till our flight, and the luxury of borrowing it whenever we visit *wink*). The rest, we packed still in more boxes, hoping they can follow us. But we are thinking maybe they never will.
It was sad, and at the same time, liberating.
It was sad to leave the life we knew, with its comforts and the discomfort, of knowing what will happen tomorrow and the day after, the familiar faces and smells and familiar thoughts and feelings.
But it was also liberating to think of starting anew, putting on the brakes and going in a new direction, and, looking at what we have accumulated and are forced to leave behind, we now have the option to downsize and buy only what we need to survive (a romantic, romantic thought).
I don’t know how long we could stay off the bandwagon, because just yesterday, I broke my pact (with myself) and bought a new phone here in this new country to replace my 3-year old but still good one. Ah. One step at a time, I guess.
Wonderful New Year thoughts and blessings – lots of it – for all.
Article and photo by Issa. Copyright 2009-2012.
Website: www.YouWantToBeRich.com
Email: issa@youwanttoberich.com
[ad name=”HTML-2 Blogher Before Comment”]
[ad name=”HTML Truly Rich Box”]
[ad name=”HTML-1 MoneyDoctors”]
Wonderful post too with wonderful new year thoughts Issa. Truly enjoyed reading your article too much. Your article always defines some reality related to life. Its so interesting. One thing I learned before I became a bestselling author and long before Inc Magazine voted my company as one of the fastest growing companies is that its the fact that to give life everyday a new start we have to leave the past.
Wonderful words, Dan. And it is my pleasure to have someone like you – an author and financial wizard – reading my articles. Thank you. Yes, indeed, we are finding out that to move forward, we should let go – gently, yes, but to let go anyway and make a committed step forward. Will be reading your book, The ABC of Sales, and look forward to learning from you. Again, thanks.
Pingback: A trailing spouse story: Getting to easier | Be Rich