Pears are in season. So, yesterday I purchased five gorgeous red Anjou pears at Central Market. They’re sitting all glorious on my counter top ~ waiting to ripen. Those pears reminded me of a conversation I had with my friend, Cat, about this 31 days of enough I’m writing.
As Cat and I were driving to Warrenton in September, I told her about my angst in dealing with things in my house that were gifted or handed down to me. Trinkets, furniture, and whatnots that were assigned value from other people. People that I love.
I told her how crazy bad it made me feel to think about getting rid of them because they were important to other people. And how I worried if those people knew I no longer valued them, it might hurt their feelings. But I also explained how crazy frustrated it made me feel giving space to the stuff ~ and time to manage the stuff ~ because they didn’t hold value for me.
Cat (who is a gardener and also quietly wise) said: Everything has a season, Susie. Even stuff.
When I look around my house, I see many things at the end of their season in my life. And that is why I am giving some of these things away. But what I am realizing and appreciating is that they are ‘in season’ in a new home. Maybe yours.
Today I am gifting a leather Fossil handbag. It looks to me to be Anjou pear red. ;) I used it maybe twice. Could this be in season at your house? Hoping so …
To enter to win, tell me what you do with things that are no longer in season at your house. Or if you’ve been gifted things with ‘assigned’ value from people you love … how do you handle those things without hurting feelings?
Remember the rules:
1) Only one entry per giveaway item. 2) You are eligible to win only one item a week. 3) Entries on this item open until 5 pm (CST) on Friday 10/19/12. 4) Winners must live in the contiguous United States. This week’s winners will be announced on Saturdays (10/20) on my blog. Please check your email promptly if you’re announced as a winner.
plush pumpkins … free stuff
shauna niequist’s bittersweet … free stuff
Love Does … free stuff
free stuff: popovers
vera bradley via Haiti … free stuff
Susie, I so enjoyed you at our CrossBrandCowboyChurch ladies conference, you are a gifted speaker and brought alot of laughter and thought to us, God bless you in your work and Bless your famiy also, Sherell Wingo Tyler, Texas
I love to regularly purge my house of unnecessary stuff! One of my favorite things to do with stuff is to have a yard sale (once I’ve collected enough). Then I use the money for other things…for example, the last one almost completely funded a mission trip I took to Uganda!
I tend to just take stuff to Goodwill. I like the idea of having a garage sale, but not the process. I love what you are doing with your things. :)
I like to share my stuff as well! I’m pretty good about cleaning out regularly…I follow the rule if I get something new something’s gotta go!
Oooo, my friend Liz always does that, too. Something goes out when something comes in. Such a great rule.
I still hang on to too much because it’s associated with someone–my parents who are no longer alive or happy times growing up. I try to pass them on to someone who also has memories attached to them and who would appreciate them even more.
I try to pass things on to friends and donate other items to charity. The tough things for me to get rid of are gifts that were given to me by people I love. Sigh…I’ll be working on that! I love this red purse!
I try to give it away to people who need or will appreciate it!
If I cannot use it any longer, I try to find someone that will appreciate both its intrinsic & emotional value to be the recipient. Often that is someone close to my heart. But then there are times when it seems like it would be a good item gifted to an org that would appreciate it. If I cannot find either of those, then one of 2 things happen: either it goes to goodwill, yardsale~ OR it goes back into the closet because I just don’t want to let go of the item emotionally~ yet! ;>}
Would love that bag Susie… and appreciate it.. it looks beautiful and could definitely make a home for it!
Cathy B*****y pbprojecthope at yahoodotcom
I love to regift. As the daughter of a hoarder, I will admit I dont have a lot of patience with piles of stuff. I try to be really choosy with what reeeeeally means a lot, even though I know it’s just tangible and not important. I am always happy to donate things to the Salvation Army or to give a bag of outgrown clothes to a friend. So much great, humble advice on your site – I’m glad I ran across it. :)
I love stuff but I am also a big giver…if someone likes something that I have, I am happy to give it to them (ie a scarf, a “costume” type ring, costume jewelry in general, a purse, a book, etc….they are just things. I do have so much stuff and two sons who will not be happy to have to go through all of this stuff one day. Must give more away. Eek. :)
most of my stuff is ready for the trash when i’m done with it. most of what’s not (clothing) goes to the local homeless ministry, the more dressy stuff to the goodwill (where i hope my black slacks and khaki pants get put to good use in this tourist driven economy of my town)
my in-laws like to keep things. everything really. as my husband and i were combining house holds (and really beyond) if its passed its season, i return the items to my MIL. its an awkward conversation, but i know she’ll be upset if i re-purpose/gift it to someone else.
I pass things along to friends or our food pantry at church (which accepts clothes or baby stuff too). I love this purse! I’ve been in the market for a new one as mine is worn out!
I usually try my best to give things to those who I know will appreciate them. My mom and my nieces usually end up with my older clothes and I am so grateful to know that they really enjoy that bond!
It always makes me feel better when I can pass something along to someone I know will use or appreciate it. (or some sort of charity- like a woman’s shelter or something.) I tend to hold on to things longer than I should. My husband would prefer it otherwise, so I’ve been trying to be better to show him that he’s more important than the stuff. =)
I also enjoy the blessing of being able to give to others when my “stuff” has outlasted its season in my life! It’s always such a joy to be able to give the right gift to the right person at the right moment. Other times when I have no specific person in mind who may need or want what I am ready to give away, it just goes in a bag to Goodwill.
I always have a bag in the hall closet available to fill with things that are ready to pass on to a friend, or to second-hand shop. I love that you are passing goodies on for others to enjoy :) I remember a pastor/teacher saying once that if we hold our hands too tightly in a fist, we are unable to receive any blessings…
I always offer things to my children, or ask if they know anyone who would like them, I usually have my ears open listening for needs. If I have it I may go ahead and let go of it to meet a need. Recently we gave all of the furniture in a townhouse that we sold. He had moved and had almost no furnishings. It was such an awsome feeling to give all that stuff to him, and he was blessed and we were blessed by the giving.
A few of us from church and church started a local “free, wanted, or for sale” Facebook page and that’s where most of my “stuff” goes……I love knowing other people can use my stuff, and I have received many needed items as well. As for the “special” things that might hurt feelings…it’s tough, but I always really try to make sure whoever gets it has a real need for it. Sharing those things with others seems to help the memories linger on and give joy to someone else.
I LOVE to give them away … as a matter of fact, your blog is inspiring me to purge some treasures. Giving is so much more fun than receiving!
I donate items we are no longer using and/or give them to friends/family who would appreciate them.
Mostly I pass it along to Goodwill, or another family that I know may have a need for it.
That’s a beautiful bag, I give to the church or good will, I used to babysit and had a lot of baby stuff. One day a couple came up to bring a calf to us and you could tell they didn’t have much, I took that young couple to the garage and said here it all yours. The young girl cried she said she was 7 months along and they couldn’t afford to get anything yet, It was such a good feeling to be able to help like that. She got a complete babies room, crib, changing table, and you name it I had it she got it. God works in great ways….
i give away…to friends…to goodwill…
(this bag is GORGEOUS!!!)
I donated most of my daughters clothes and toys to a dear friend from church….she is a GREAT GRANDMOTHER raising her 4 year old great granddaughter! She has had her since she was born…anything else goes to Bridges Safe House for battered women and children.
I take lots of things to the second hand shop. Not much in way of return money wise, but I do get to bless someone who will love it and they get to buy it at a great bargain. Other things I give away or swap with friends.
Tasha
Lately, my husband and I have been having garage sales…2 last year, 2 this year. We’re trying to sell our house, but have (so far) been unsuccessful.
One thing I’ve learned…it’s so easy to make do with less. And I love that. And after dealing with all the stuff in getting rid of my in-law’s home and my own parent’s home, I can confidently say that I will never saddle my own children with all the stuff that (maybe only) I hold dear.
I even gave about 6 purses away to the Salvation Army earlier this year!! Yea~ feels so good!
and, well, i do really like that bag…
I hear you.
I don’t want my kids to have to worry about what to do with my stuff either.
Said a little prayer your house will sell.
My daughters and I just had this conversation yesterday. One has a new apartment, the other a new (small) house. Each of them, separately, were lamenting about gifts that are overrunning their spaces. Why is it so easy for me to tell them that they are not required to keep everything, and yet I have such a difficult time with that in my own life?! Working hard on this one! Keep the encouragement coming, Susie! (P.S. Lovely handbag, but please don’t gift it to me … I’m trying to get rid of my own! LOL)
Thank you for the encouragement, Tami. :)
At this time in my life, I find it easier to get rid of the stuff that clutters my life and my house. I usually pass things on down to my sister, who through no fault of her own, has very little. She lost most of her possessions in Hurricane Ike, things like pictures and things that belonged to our mother.
I love to gift her with things I know she would never go out and buy for herself. When I saw the purse I thought of my sister, whose favorite color is red. And so, if I end up being a winner, I am going to give the purse to my sister.
Blessings,
Gwen
Oh gracious, Gwen. Your sister suffered through Ike? We have some friends that did the same.
I love you are gifting her with things that belonged to your mother. That makes me want to cry.
We are so blessed by others! I graciously accept it and try to bless others.
Amen. Yes.
When loved ones gift me with things or hand them down to me, I have a hard time letting go of these items later because of the sentimental value attached to them. However, as I have gotten older, I have learned to say ‘no” (nicely, of course) when I don’t need something, or offer to take the item(s) to an organization that can give them to someone who needs them. I have also received items from friends only to pass them along again at a later time, especially if I see that there is an individual or family that is in need of the item(s) in question. People have so generously gifted me with things, and I like to share the love whenever possible.
This is a hard one for me as Im one of those people who assigns a memory to every object and I feel like if I get rid of the object then I will lose the memory.
Im trying hard to get better…. especially about seeing stuff as stuff. Since we are starting our adoption, I now have the advantage of saying “is this more important than my daughter? no, ok, lets sell it” – so I know that stuff is still being used for a worthy cause… :)
oh those pears look beautiful.. I can see the resemblance in the purse :)
I love to get rid of things taking up space or things I’m not using.. although to be honest I don’t always practice what I preach…
Until reading this very post, I hung to many things out of guilt! I love your wise friend’s comment… Everything has a season, even stuff!! I needed to hear that. I hope I can gift some things to others so that they might begin a new season.
I share with others, garage sale or Goodwill as my “seasons” change.