What Matters Most

It can all be summed up with Dora the Explorer.

She came running in the bathroom this morning. “Mom! MOM! Look I found my Dora the Explorer microphone in one of the boxes! I remember when……!” And the dancing and singing along with an excessively loud, very large headed, animated character, whose best friend is a monkey commences.

And I smiled because it was confirmation that we packed the RIGHT things.

When we left Louisiana in November 2013 we, along with the help of some amazing friends and family, packed an entire 4 bedroom house into a 16x8x8 POD storage unit in about 9 hours. Many of the decisions about what came and stayed were not made by me. We left behind a sizable trash pile and even more sizable Goodwill pile.

I remember leaving that next morning and walking to the trash to drop off the last bag and seeing a few of the girls’ toys laying in the dirt. I starting picking them up and my little brother gently grabbed my arm and said, “Leave it sister. It’s time to go”. He correctly steered me away from the Goodwill pile. And I obediently went because (1) I have always been more practical than sentimental and (2) I had a very sick husband in Oklahoma anticipating another medical hurdle the following week.

Today, as we unload I’m looking for practical things like lamps, rakes, brooms, trash cans. These things didn’t make it to the POD and the list grows. But to see the joy in finding the microphone I am reminded that what matters did make it – Memories. I would likely never pick up the old garden shovel and reminisce about happier times but the Dora microphone (which has resounded through my house all morning) is another story.

Memories are what we need to keep. The rest is just “stuff”.

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21 NIV)