It has been an exciting fall!

As things happen, everything has changed in the blink of an eye. We moved. We downsized so dramatically that I do not recognize what I chose to keep. I hope I chose wisely. It was a painful experience for me. 

Because we moved so often while my husband served in military service, I have chastened myself not to get attached to material things, so I was very surprised how I mourned getting rid of what was now excess.

In Luke 12:15, Christ's philosophy of materialism is made clear: "Take heed! Beware of all covetousness. For a man's life does not consist of the things he has."

Like all humans, I tried to justify keeping many of the items - most memories from my children's school days. When they were young, all six would beg me not to throw their precious work out. I kept a large amount - ceramics, clever reports, certificates. I thought they would love to see these things as adults. As life would have it, each one told me they "didn't want that junk."

In a surprising turn of events, I clung to these reminders of when they were young. I remember feeling so very overwhelmed and tired at the end of each night I fell into bed exhausted. As I age, I wonder if I failed to fully appreciate the miracle happening in front of me as my children grew.

By and by, I realized that these boxes of paper need not hold me captive. What I preserved was the most valuable — my memories—the echoes of children laughing, loving, and thrilling at life itself.

I pray to God I can live life as a child again. Grateful for this singular day that the Lord has made. I pray I can live it with just a tiny amount of the joy exhibited by our small children.

In the end, the paper has gone. Pictures were saved, and my cup runneth over with joy and gratefulness.