There was a time when I used to look forward to packing up my office or my home and moving.  It was always a start of a new adventure. Of course it required packing and deciding whether I needed some of the stuff I’d collected since the last move. I’ve never been one to keep “stuff.” If I hadn’t used it or worn it… or if it was still packed in boxes since the last move then I’d take it to the local shelter or Goodwill for someone else to give it life again.

Today I packed up my home office in anticipation of moving my home, again. I’ve come to realize that what I choose to keep has meaning in my life. Symbols, accomplishments, memories. Some of them bring me to tears because I miss a loved one or a pet that brought me joy. Others remind me of how far I’ve come. Each one, though, enables me to look back and be at peace with this journey I’ve been on. If at any time I need to lose myself in my past, what surrounds me are the happy memories. And anything else doesn’t have a place in my Now.