Boxless Treasures

This week I have taken off work to purposefully and feverishly prepare for our huge house content sale. How is it that I can live in one spot for 8 years and have the ability to downsize all I have accumulated into about 12 moving boxes? Sorting is the name game. I am going through every room, every corner, and every nook to sort all we own. I have worked on it now for a few days and so far have only a few boxes of things that we are bringing to Nassau. I am completely shocked at how little we have need for. More than that I am actually quite embarrassed at how much we have that we really did not need, or even want after a few months or years. How is it that I am ridding myself and my family of about 90% of our possessions and not feel it as a devastating loss? Not 100% sure, I have felt the loss of some things but for the most part I have felt quite free and relieved to rid ourselves of these underused and over-dusty items. What I think has been happening is that I am being forced to come face to face with the idea of how my last 8 years can be counted: Here is my inventory so far and I warn you from this list alone I am a mystery of contradictions.

• All my racing bibs and finishing medals from the races I entered along side my walking cast, crutches, cane and physio tape used for my injuries and rehabilitation.
• All my notes and textbooks used for what felt like an eternity of courses to finish my clinical membership, alongside my ripped, stained and crowded day planners that unfortunately show my priorities were more work related than God, family and friends.
• All my awesome books purchased because I knew I would love them, along side the receipt that I used as a bookmark which remains in its original position of chapter one.

I could go on..but the point I hope is made.. if I counted my life based on only the things I collected over the years my life would have been confusing and once all the contradictions cancel each other out, would be a fairly close to a zero. However, downsizing has made me realize that there are things that I am bringing with me to Nassau that could never be put into a box, things that I count as the most valuable in my life.

• My relationship with Christ, far and away my most treasured "possession"
• My awesome husband..sure sometimes we might feel like "boxing" each other but Bryn is my champion, he has never given up on me..I treasure that.
• My daughter, I know I am not always the coolest mom but I will always think she is the coolest treasure.
• My friends, really, considering how insane my last 8 years were the fact that I still have friends is a testament to their awesomeness...Treasure!

I will refrain from continuing because I could go on, but bottom line, I know when I arrive in Nassau I am bring with me all of these treasures because I store their value in my heart and not a box. Boxes can contain important things but my heart contains the treasure.