Living Without Possessions

Daily writing prompt

What would you do if you lost all your possessions?

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Losing all of my possessions is uncomfortable to imagine.  Personal belongings are so special to me.  They hold stories, memories and comfort.  They’re the things we’ve collected over the years.  They remind me of who I am, what I’ve been through, and what I love.  If it were all gone tomorrow, it would definitely cause me a lot of emotional pain. 

I’ve had a special attachment to things for as long as I can remember.  It’s more of an emotional connection than a materialistic one.  Certain objects carry so much meaning.  A childhood photo.  A magnet from an international trip.  An old stuffed animal I used to carry around with me everywhere. Losing those things would feel like I’m losing a part of myself.  

I even went to my one of my best friend’s weddings, and I took the name placement card at the table, along with a beautiful flower from a tree.  Why? because it’s a representation of a memory.  I keep the little things that most might find meaningless.  I might be a collector, maybe even a pack rat, but I have trouble parting ways with objects that remind me I’m “me.”

But even though I form a deep emotional connection to things, I still am me without them at the end of the day.  Sometimes letting things go frees up space to start with a blank slate.  The idea that you can start from nothing intentionally.  Of course, losing everything sounds terrifying, but I believe that loss can generate more clarity.  It strips away what’s unnecessary and reveals what truly matters deep down.   

If I lost all of my possessions, I would definitely grieve first.  But maybe after the grief I’d find some sense of peace.  I realize that I’m still me, even without the things I once believed defined me.  The memories would still live inside me and the love I’ve given and received would still exist.  Perhaps the point isn’t to cling to everything, maybe it’s to learn that we are the constant, and that our worth isn’t found in what we own but found in who we are when everything else falls away.