Give It Away Before It's Given Away

Kind of a weird title for a post but it's good advice. It really hit home this weekend as I spent time at an auction of my godmother's things. My aunt Angeline was a saver. I heard that she had saved every greeting card she had ever gotten. (She lived to be 90+) So you can imagine how much stuff was at this auction. There were 9 trailers filled, furniture on the lawn and more behind her barn. So much to sell that there were two auctioneers going at once.

 

                                                             9 trailers like this one!

This was a hard auction to attend because it brought back so many memories. As a child I spent many hours playing with her children and slept over often. One trailer had all of her shoes (lots of pairs all in their original shoe boxes--who saves the boxes?), purses and hats. You know the kind women wore back in the 30's,40's 50's? I bet there were 50 hats. I would have loved to have taken some home with me but they were bought up by people willing to spend more than I was. Sad to see her clothes strung on a line.

 

 

 

I'm looking around at all the stuff I have accumulated thinking who wants to go through my stuff when I'm gone? Do I want it all thrown into boxes and sold to strangers? I don't think my children would do that but who knows? (One of my daughters is the total opposite of a saver--she's a thrower!) I think it's so sad that my aunt didn't give away more of her stuff when she was living. I think she would have gotten some joy out of seeing her friends and family using her things.

 

So that brings me to think about taking my own advice. I really need to clean out some closets and give away what I'm not using. Goodwill and the Salvation Army would be happy to take whatever I want to donate. But I'm thinking there are things I have that family and friends would use if I give it to them. Why not do it now?  Lord knows I'm not getting any younger and I shouldn't wait until these things are so old they're considered antiques!

 

What about you? Are you a saver or a thrower?

 

(On a happy note I did manage to score some of my aunt's things as a remembrance of her.)