Purging and Saving

Also on vacation, I did some "Clean Sweep"ing, cleaning out a trashbag full of old magazines and outdated reference books. Why in the world was I keeping a year's worth of Self and Fitness? I remember doing some cleaning last spring thinking that maybe I would refer to the past issues, but I never did.

I should have felt relief at purging some of these old things that were just taking up space, but I didn't. I felt guilty and tense afterward. I still don't feel right about it. I suppose there is some guilt for having spent money on some of the outdated reference books, but I should feel free, shouldn't I? In fact, I felt overwhelmed as I faced the sheer amount of books I have kept from childhood. I long for organized shelves, and I added that to a list of projects that DH will complete--by next summer. My book room is supposed to be a sanctuary, but it is mostly filled with bags and some boxes of craft supplies and books. A lot of stuff is gone. I have pared down my books over the years, and what I have left is what I want to keep--at least for awhile longer. I value all of them equally.

But, if we faced the loss of everything in our house, there are only two things I would save: my box of journals and whatever photographs I could collect in time. Everything is just stuff. Sure, I would be upset to lose my Barbie collection and some of my other collections, but those are just things. The essence of my life boils down to my journals and photographs.

That's all. They are irreplaceable and priceless to me.

What would you save?