NKOTB got your attention, right?! Ha!
Donnie, you were always my true favorite.
This medium-sized box was all the way in the back of the attic. It was a box of books from childhood that I wanted to make sure I went through. I've had them for a while now but hadn't taken the time to choose favorite and purge the rest.
Do you remember Scrabble people?
The books weren't in the best condition, but it was fun to look through a few of them. It didn't take long to realize that I had kept this box far longer than I really needed to.
I sorted them into donation, go-through-with-the-kids, and recycle pile (it's time like this that I am really glad we recycle, even though it costs).
We have a giveaway pile on the left and a go-through-with-the-kids pile on the right.
Another view: go-through-with-the-kids on the left and recycle pile on the right.
I suspect the go-through-with-the-kids pile will shrink some more and be donated eventually.
I have learned that the things you think you want to share with your kids from childhood really aren't that important. It's okay to just let things go. I don't want to keep my things like they are part of museum exhibits. A few things, sure. It's probably more for me than for my kids though, really. It just doesn't seem healthy to hold onto all the toys, books, clothes, etc.
We are hoping to teach a healthy detachment from things to our children. We want them to enjoy their things but not be a slave to them. We want them to enjoy quality over quantity. We want to carefully watch the influence of materialism and consumerism over their little hearts and minds. We want the space around them to serve their vocations well, not hinder them. We want them to be good stewards of their money and choose belongings wisely.
It's a learning curve, a process, that's for sure.
Cull any books from your collection today? Does putting books into a recycle bin cause you to get twitchy? What have you donated lately?
P.S. So much more room in the attic! We are winning!
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