A Lifetime of Accumulation

Reader Contribution by Shawn Hosford
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Sometimes as we age there is a need to get rid of stuff. Not everyone accumulates stuff in life. For example, my father was a great non-accumulator. One of his ways of living light was to move often between counties — so less was better. That said, if you have spent the last chapter or chunk of your life in the same place, it’s easier to accumulate.

For me, the way accumulation happens is that when someone I love and care for gives me something, I keep it because of their love and the memory it represents. I think it could take years of “separation” (things being boxed up and put away) and an unbiased loved one to help separate my from beloved stuff.

I started thinking about this because of the gratitude that one of my elders and mentors has shown to me for a small act of service I was able to do. Several years ago, when Barbara decided she was ready to pare down and move into senior housing, she knew her accumulation would need to be sorted and dispersed. As a person who often volunteers in areas of manual labor or when a friend needs two extra hands, I jumped in by offering four hours of service a month. My offer was made without her request. Barbara knew she had some time to sort and purge, so she took me up on my offer. Also, we found less was more with this overwhelming task and four hours was plenty of time.

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