I made a shocking discovery recently: when your kids grow up and move out, they don’t take their stuff with them. Oh sure, they take the Xbox and all your good wine glasses, but the lifetime supply of Legos and their soccer trophies? Not so much.
To be fair, it is tough when you are first starting out in life. When you are living in a one bedroom apartment, you simply don’t have the room to take possession of all your childhood memories. Not to mention the fact that it is difficult for young people to know what keepsakes they will find most meaningful years from now. But I did see one really valuable piece of advice on this website about simplifying: the fewer things you keep, the more special they are. When your grandmother gives you a small keepsake box filled with precious memories she wants to share with you, it is a very moving moment. If, on the other hand, she has to have a forklift drop a packing crate on your front lawn filled with her precious memories … hmm, not the same thing at all.
Occasionally the need arises for an extended leave of absence from your home or apartment. Maybe you are taking a long-term assignment for your job in another state or country. Or maybe, if you’re lucky, and have a nomadic streak, you have decided to take a year off and travel the world. Either way, you are going to have to do something with all your stuff.