I have recently been challenged to explain why I have a house full of “stuff” that I don’t use. I have a 30 year-old-friend who just cannot understand why I keep old books that I’ve read or why I have teacups in my china cabinet that I rarely use, but love to look at. Probably the most perplexing thing for her to understand is the reason I have these things in my house when I have a business selling collectibles.
How do I explain to her that my aunt started my teacup collection and I was never allowed to see her when I was a child (my mother was a very possessive woman). But I would always get great gifts from her. Every Christmas or birthday, I received a china teacup. Now that my mom is gone, my aunt and I have a great bond - we enjoy treasure hunting for the scarce teacup that no one else has.
That same aunt gave me my first teddy bear. I now have a collection of way too many stuffed bears and animals. Then there were my uncle’s books – the only thing that I have to remind me of him.
I could go on and on, but the reasons my collections started were to create memories of people who are special to me. I guess that’s difficult for a thirty-year-old to understand - especially when most of her relatives are still alive and not very sentimental. Maybe she just wants to create her own memories and that’s okay.
How do I explain to her that my aunt started my teacup collection and I was never allowed to see her when I was a child (my mother was a very possessive woman). But I would always get great gifts from her. Every Christmas or birthday, I received a china teacup. Now that my mom is gone, my aunt and I have a great bond - we enjoy treasure hunting for the scarce teacup that no one else has.
That same aunt gave me my first teddy bear. I now have a collection of way too many stuffed bears and animals. Then there were my uncle’s books – the only thing that I have to remind me of him.
I could go on and on, but the reasons my collections started were to create memories of people who are special to me. I guess that’s difficult for a thirty-year-old to understand - especially when most of her relatives are still alive and not very sentimental. Maybe she just wants to create her own memories and that’s okay.
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