Dwight, you’re a hoarder. It appears to be new learning, as you came here with no possessions. Only a harness, a short lead and a bag of food. A few days after your arrival, we gave you Little Dino. You adored him, taking him with you everywhere. It was sweet to watch you care for him. This Christmas, a treasure trove of toys descended upon you by well meaning family and friends. You pile them on your bed and fret over their care.
Life was much simpler when there was only Little Dino. You could scoop him up in your mouth, run around the yard, bury him, dig him up, re-bury and dig up to the cadence of our days. Let dog in, let dog out. Now your toy collection seems overwhelming. You have even started stockpiling items on our walks. So far, you have found and fretted over an unidentifiable piece of black plastic, a hairband and a glove. These treasures have been stashed in various spots in the neighborhood. You check on them frequently, and many times relocate them. But today was over the top, D Man. You found a plastic Coke bottle. A big ticket item to bury, which you managed to do. Pretty impressive.
You’ve got an issue Dwight. Too much stuff is weighing you down, getting in the way of life. I can relate. I have my own clutter issues. What to do with all this stuff that sneaks into drawers and closets. A golf ball found on a walk, a box of chalk, dry rotted rubber bands, safety pins and paper clips that reproduce and move on to live in an adjacent drawer. I bought a book, took a class, and started my de-cluttering adventure.
Then I had to stop to take care of life for awhile. And then, loss. And then, Christmas came. But its a new year now, so, no excuses. Let’s make 2019 the year to de-clutter and reclaim joy and freedom from stuff, Dwight. We can help each other. With every bag of impedimenta I take to Goodwill, I’ll squirrel away one of your toys for a needy dog. I’ll dissuade you from collecting more things on our walks and try my best to keep us mindful and grateful for what we have.
There are emotions attached to possessions. The trappings of things. That’s why its hard for us sensitive types to let go. Memories can be messy, but they don’t clutter. Fond ones warm the soul and inspire us forward. Sad ones overwhelm, encouraging us to hang onto more stuff in order to stay anchored to the past.
Let’s bury our sadness under the Birch tree in the backyard. If we need it, we’ll know where to find it. We will be respectful and remember its location. Don’t look back, Dwight. Were not going that way. Happy New Year.
dear-dwight 